Sacrifice
by millertime1985
Summary: When G Callen offers to help Nell with something, he has no idea of how his life will change, or what he will lose *This is my first ever Fan Fic, so some characterisations may be a bit off*. Set post 5x14. 1st in my Sacrifice series


Notes: Thanks for taking the time to look over my story.

This is the first time I have written any Fan Fic, and didn't want to publish an it chapter by chapter, in case I got side tracked... I know how frustrating it can be when you're enjoying a story, and you're left on a cliff hanger... with no update in sight.

I've been working on this for 6 or 7 weeks, and it's set sometime after 5x14 after that its sort of AU, but still partly follows the story arc of Kensi being in Afghanistan, and needing rescued.

I hope you enjoy it.

I'll wait for feedback before I decide whether to write another

* * *

#1

"I Cannot wait for this day to be over, as much as I enjoy getting shot by a bunch of rogue DGSE, I just want to go home and finish reading 'Crime and Punishment' and have a cold beer" Callen said, not to anyone in particular as his team returned to the Mission. "Anyone have any plans?"

"I'm looking forward to catching some waves over the weekend" Deeks commented in his usual drawl.

"Catching up with a few of my SEAL buddies since Michelle is going to her moms with the kids" Sam added.

They moved inside and over to their desks, each of the men gathering their gear and getting ready to leave for the weekend…

Callen sat down, in no rush to get packed up.

"You need a lift home G?"

"Nah, I've got some papers to finish up… it's either that or Hetty is going to introduce her letter opener to my sensitive areas. But thanks… I'll see you Monday". Leaning back in his chair, he watched his partner and Deeks leave.

It never failed to surprise him how odd he found being in the mission when there was almost no one there talking or walking between departments. Deciding his time was best spent on finishing his paperwork, he returned his focus to his work.

After an hour he decided to call it quits, he gathered his paperwork and went to drop them on Hetty's desk. As he moved back to his desk to pack up his own laptop and gear he noticed Nell coming down the stairs from OPS.

"Agent Callen, I thought you had already left" the petite Analyst said.

"I thought you left with Eric, Not that it isn't nice to see a friendly face." He mentally kicked himself for making what should be a simple friendly greeting sound forced, It wasn't that he felt uneasy with Nell, it was more to do with the fact that he had rarely had any non work related solo interactions with her.

"I'm just leaving for the night, do you have any plans?" he said.

"I had planned to install my new TV, Eric was going to help me, but he made some plans to see a friend he said he hasn't seen in a while, so I guess I'm going to wait a few days"

The young woman answered while clutching her bag.

"I can give you a hand if you like, at least with the carrying it"

Nell thanked him for the offer but didn't want to put him out. Callen made a point of letting her know that he had no plans that he couldn't put off for an hour or two.

"If you're sure it's not putting you out, that would be great. Do you want to just follow me then?, I'll try not to go too fast"

"Sure, just give a minute to grab my gear" the Senior Agent in Charge said as he returned to his desk.

…..

"I'm sorry for the long walk, my apartment block does have parking, it's just that there are never any spaces left by this time"

"It's not a problem Nell, it's not as if it's raining tonight. Besides, it's nice to have some physical activity that doesn't involve Sam knocking me on my ass" Callen said as they continued down the street.

"So…" Nell desperately trying to think of something to talk about continued "… Deeks told me Sam set you up with someone, are you going to see her again?" She asked, really hoping that he didn't think she was being nosey.

"Ha, eh no… Don't get me wrong, she was friendly and easy to talk to and…"

"Pretty?" Nell interrupted him.

"Yeah she was pretty, and not a cop. Which would normally be great… but, even if I could talk to her, or any woman for that matter, about who I really am, and what I do… I wouldn't even know where to start. And how would I even start to explain the Comescu blood feud against me, or my name" he slowed down and looked as if he was deep in thought. "I'm in a good place in my life - I have my 'family', I'm not living on friends couches or floors anymore, I own my own home, and have my job. I don't need anything else"

"Don't take this the wrong way Agent Callen, but there is more to life than just work and Family. I mean we are all in a similar position… we can't share parts of our lives with outsiders, but that doesn't stop any of us. I admit, it can be tough, but it can be worth while…"

"Nell, there is no need to call me 'Agent Callen' away from work. But Yeah, I know… but I wouldn't want to ruin a relationship, a real non undercover relationship because I HAVE to lie about who I am, what I do, where I go and how I have bullet scars on my chest, I…" before Callen could finish responding he was interrupted by a man blocking the sidewalk, and pointing a gun at Nell

"Give me whatever money you have, and don't try anything clever" he said moving the gun between Callen and Nell.

Callen knew he couldn't let the man hurt him, or more importantly, Nell… So using his training he moved in front of Nell, while simultaneously reaching for the muggers' gun.

While Nell had some self-defence training, it wasn't enough to equip her to better the mugger, she decided it was best to remain a few steps behind Callen, even if she did feel very guilty for doing so.

Grabbing hold of the muggers' gun with both hands he pulled at it, trying to aim the gun away from him. The mugger trying to maintain control pulled the trigger sending a round into the brick wall of the building. Unfortunately the next round grazed Callen's upper arm, while not serious, it was causing a fair bit of blood to escape and run down his arm and dripping on the sidewalk. The mugger knowing that he had actually shot a man, started to panic and fought to try and break Callen's grip on the gun… Taking a risk he kicked Callen in the knee while jerking the gun back and forward. Kicking Callen again and pushing the gun at Callen he pushed him with a lot of force back into the wall, kicking him again much harder launching him back into the wall with enough force that Callen's head hit the brick wall before sliding to the ground. The mugger turned and ran with the gun still in his hand.

Nell moved towards Callen in a state of panic, seeing him slumped against the wall, with a vacant look on his face.

"Callen… Callen, how many fingers am I holding up?"

When he failed to answer she pulled out her phone and dialled 911 to request an ambulance, Once that was done she called Hetty to find out what to do, did NCIS take jurisdiction or did LAPD handle the investigation.

Hetty advised her that she would deal with it through Lieutenant Bates to ensure the case was handled with discretion, until they could determine if Callen or Nell had been targeted due to them being NCIS staff.

…..

#2

Nell paced up and down the hospital waiting room. As she was neither a relative nor involved with Callen, the doctor refused to update her on Callen's condition.

Once Hetty arrived and provided the hospital with an identity for Callen, the doctor was more than willing to update them both.

Callen had been checked over upon arrival, and initially failed to respond. However after a short time he started responding to the doctor and nurses, and asked questions about who and where he was.

"We don't suspect any brain damage, but we do believe he is suffering from Retrograde Amnesia. There is a good chance his memory will return in time. We want to keep him in overnight, but he will be free to go home tomorrow afternoon, provided he has someone who can watch over him for a day or so. We would also like for him to come back for a check up towards the end of the week. If you'll excuse me, I have other patients I have to see. If you have any other questions ask at the desk and myself or one of the doctors will help you in any way we can"

"This is all my fault, if I hadn't asked him for help he wouldn't have been shot, and would still have his memory" Nell sat down and covered her face with her hands.

"I don't believe the blame for this is on you my dear. And I believe that Mr Callen would gladly have been shot many times over, if it ensured you or any of the others remained unharmed" The older spy said as she sat down and took one of Nell's hands.

"Now I need you to do something for Mr Callen and I. I need you backstop the identity details I provided the hospital for while he tries to regain his own memory. I think it best he is kept away from his own residence in the event that he has been targeted, so he will reside in a safe house for the time being. Mr Hanna is on his way to clear Mr Callen's residence of any identity documents or possessions until his long-term status can be determined. I'll need you to fill in Mr Deeks and Mr Beale as they will be coordinating between ourselves and the LAPD"

"I'll get right on it" Nell stood up and started to walk in the direction of the exit, after a few steps she stopped and turned towards Hetty

"Hetty, I feel responsible for this and I owe Callen… so…"

"You want to watch over him. I think that is a fair request. Backstop the Identity tonight, and then have Mr Hanna escort you home. You're no good to Mr Callen or myself if you're too tired to be able to watch and protect him"

"How much do I tell him, I mean do I tell him anything about his family? What he had done?, do I tell him he is NCIS?, and what do I tell him if he asks who I am or why I am staying with him?" she asked, genuinely unsure what the right thing to say would be.

"I know it will be difficult, but I believe that the best thing for us all to do is allow him some time to regain his identity. We can revisit our options in a few days once we see what progress he has made. When he asks who you are, tell him the truth, tell him that you're a friend watching out for him" Hetty said sounding very sure that this was the best choice for Callen.

Nell turned and went for the exit to head back to the Mission to backstop Callen.

…..

"Doctor, I know you have explained what's wrong with me, but what's going to happen to me until I get my memories back?"

"There were two women that were here last night rather concerned with your well-being. One of them was listed as your next of kin; the other was unrelated to you. But I am informed that the young lady here this afternoon to escort you home. I'm sorry I can't tell you any more than that as I really don't know about your circumstances. One of the nurses will come to see you, once your escort is here, so we can complete your discharge papers and get you back into your life. Your escort will be bringing you a change of clothes, just in case you didn't want to walk about in a blood soaked shirt"

"Thank you doctor. Before you go, are you able to tell me my name? you didn't seem to know last night."

"Your next of kin identified you as Greg Keller. Does that ring any bells?"

"It sounds familiar, but beyond that I don't know. Thank you for everything doctor"

…..

#3

"So who are you to me?" Greg asked

"I'm a friend, and in a way I'm responsible for this happening to you"

"So you shot me?" he said, amused at the idea of the short young woman pointing a gun at him. He didn't know why, but while he believed she could shoot someone, he didn't believe that she would have actually shot him.

Thinking about how to answer "Greg" Nell stopped walking and turned to face him

"No, I didn't shoot you. But you wouldn't have been shot, and you wouldn't have lost your memory if it hadn't been for me"

"Ok, can I get the full story of how I got shot, and why you feel guilty?"

"Ok… I mentioned that I had had to delay fitting my new TV because my partner changed plans last-minute. I mentioned it to you in passing, and before I could say anything, you offered to help me that night. So we were walking to my place and chatting when a guy blocked our way and pointed a gun at us. You put yourself in between me and the muggers' gun and tried to grab the gun away from him, the gun went off a couple of times and one of the short grazed your arm. Next thing I knew the guy was kicking you … he hit you with a lot of force, that sent you flying into the wall and you just slid to the ground while the mugger ran off. That's pretty much it."

Before "Greg" could ask any other questions, Nell resumed walking toward the parking structure, with "Greg" following after her.

"No need to stop walking, but are you only taking care of me out of whatever misplaced guilt you feel about what happened, when you sure as hell are not to blame for what happened."

"I know I'm not to directly to blame for what happened, but I am to blame for you being there. And Even if the same thing had happened and I wasn't involved, I would still want to be here to help you"

"Good. So what can you tell me about me? Do I have friends, a wife, kids, a dog…? and Who was my mysterious next of kin?"

"Look, I agreed with Hetty, that's your next of kin, that I shouldn't say too much in case it affects your ability to actually fully regain your own memories of your family and everything else" Nell really hoped that would satisfy him, and couldn't help being amused that it seemed that even without his memories, that he was still leading an investigation"

"Ok fine, I'll not ask anything else for the moment. But only because you've let slip that I do have family" when Nell didn't respond, He couldn't help but wonder why she was there for him but his family wasn't. But he suspected he would get some more answers from this young woman, even if he had to wait for a while.

…..

After leaving the hospital Nell had driven them both to a safe house near the beach.

Hetty had felt that this particular safe house was the best option as it was the closest to the area Callen had lived almost five years ago before he had been shot. Hetty hoped that being around an area that had such a deep-rooted emotional and psychological connection to his recent past that it would help jog his memory.

Nell wasn't feeling that comfortable with "Greg" having asked questions that she felt should have been simple enough to answer, where she had to actively think about the right thing to say. Considering that she felt that his questions had felt like he was questioning her in connection with a case, she was sure he would notice the delay in her answers and figured it was only a matter of time until he realised she had more to say than she was actually saying.

But for now she was somewhat at ease, as he had said he wanted to have a shower and then was going to lay down for a while. This meant she would have the opportunity to call Eric and see what was happening with the investigation. Had they been targeted? Or was it just a random mugging… and she felt that she really needed to speak to Hetty to see what she should do when "Greg" started asking questions again.

Finding that she could hear the shower running, she pulled out her phone and called OPS.

"Eric, its Nell. We've arrived at the safe house, and Callen is having a shower. Do you know what happened yet?"

"There's not much new that I can tell you, Deeks is still working with LAPD, and Hetty has Sam on his way to the NCIS Forensic Lab in San Diego with the recovered bullets to see if they can recover any fingerprints to help ID the shooter. LAPD wouldn't have been able to get to look at them until Monday.

How is Callen, has he remembered anything?" the Tech operator replied

"He seems fine; he was asking a lot of questions. But I suppose I would be doing the same if I had lost my memory and there were no family there to help me. It's just strange seeing him so… unsure. You see him take a new identity like he's changing a short, and he always looks so sure, and so confident no matter who he is on any given day, and then to see him like this… it's almost heart breaking. Is Hetty there, I really need to speak to her about something"

"She's on the phone to Kensi at the moment. Granger let slip that Callen had been injured. It sounds like Kensi has been trying to convince Hetty or Granger to transfer her back here to help with the investigation.

But I can let her know to call you as soon as she's done"

"Thanks Eric, Can you let me know once Deeks knows if Callen or I were targeted?"

"Sure thing. And Nell… I'm sorry I wasn't there for you last night"

"I know Eric, thanks. I'll talk to you later"

Nell hung up and put her phone in her pocket, and sat back down feeling worn out with the stress and worry of yesterday's events, not having slept last night, and now she felt so deceitful for not telling Callen the truth about who he was.

She leaned back and closed her eyes just for a moment.

"Boyfriend?"

She jerked her head up and opened her eyes to see who was talking, even though she knew it could only be one person, to find Callen standing in the doorway wrapped in just a towel. Nell couldn't help but notice the scars on his chest that she knew were from when he had been shot over a year before she met him.

"No, well honestly its complicated… it was just my friend. He was just seeing if I was alright" She answered, wondering how much he had actually heard.

"Ok. So you're not going to tell me anything more about me. So tell me about you… I mean you're here, so you must know me pretty well. So tell me who you are... and maybe it will jog my memories" He said sitting down on the other chair that was positioned opposite her in the lounge.

"I suppose that's not cheating" she grinned. "I'm 27 I speak Spanish, and I love South America. I send flowers to myself every so often. Not to brag, but I'm smart… like REALLY smart. And I have mild ADD and control issues with men I admire. Is that too much information?"

"No, but… is… did your hair used to be a different colour?" Greg asked…

"Why? Did you r…" she started before being cut off...

"Did it used to be lighter, and a bit shorter?"

"It did… wait, did you actually remember that. Do you remember me?" she asked being genuinely surprised.

"I don't remember how I know you. But I know that it's best not to piss you off, because you can be quite scary. You frequently wear cardigans, and work in a dark room." He said, trying to say it all, incase it vanished from his mind.

"That's… Do you remember anything else… do you remember anyone else?"

"No that's everything that I can remember… just you and the doctor and nurses at the hospital. But I mean it's good that I remember that isn't it?" He wasn't sure if he should be happy that he could remember this, or if he should feel bad that he doesn't remember anyone or anything else other than her.

"That's really good. Look I just need to step outside and call Hetty, I'll be right back" She got up and walked outside and hit redial on her phone.

"Eric, is Hetty free yet… can you tell her he remembered something."

…..

By the time Nell re-entered the house after speaking to Hetty, she found that Callen had got changed and was in the kitchen cooking

"I didn't know you could cook, I always thought you lived on take out"

"I don't know if I could cook before, but I seem to know how to do it now" he said with a cheeky grin.

Nell found the idea of Callen being able to cook quite funny, it was the last thing she could imagine the Special Agent being able to do.

"Could you set the table, this will only take 10 minutes till it's ready"

"Sure. I can do that"

As he had said it was only 10 minutes before his creation was ready, and on the table.

Pasta in a Bolognese sauce… Much more impressive than she had been expecting, but she found it tasty all the same.

"So how am I connected to this Hetty person?" he asked looking at her

"That is a good question. But I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's maybe a better question for when you actually speak to her.

Is there not anything else you want to talk about, I mean I imagine that its got to be confusing to not know who you are never mind who anyone else is" she said, hoping he would ask something that she could actually answer.

"How about the scars on my chest, do you know how I got them?"

"I don't really know, you got them before I met you. So I guess I'm not much use at the moment, other than as a driver" she smiled, even though she was starting to feel like she wasn't serving much of a purpose.

"What about you then, how did you get that mark above your right eye"

"I got it a few weeks ago at work. I had to watch someone until someone else could come and speak to him. Once he knew there was no one else there, he attacked me. He tried to…. Well he tried to do a not so nice thing to me" She found that she couldn't admit to him what this guy had tried to do, because she felt ashamed she hadn't responded quickly or strongly enough to defend herself at the time.

"Greg" found that the thought of someone trying to hurt Nell made him feel quite angry. He didn't know if that was a feeling from whoever he was, or if it was a feeling because of how she was trying to take care of him now.

"But someone showed up… I mean you got away didn't otherwise unharmed didn't you" he said as more of a statement than a question. Hoping that she wasn't going to say this guy harmed her any worse

"Yeah, em… " She paused trying to think of what was the right thing to say what happened. Thinking that she didn't really want to tip toe around the subject, she decided to be totally upfront and honest with him… at least about this. "I don't know how to say this, or even if I should say this… but I figure I can at least tell you the truth. I managed to fight back, and managed to defend myself, and put him down, not as in killed him, but I knocked him down for long enough for people to show up. You were one of the first ones to turn up in that room when it was realized that he was dangerous. You took care of me, checked that I was ok while Sam dealt with the guy." She felt really good being able to be totally honest about it, speaking about it actually made her feel better in herself about that experience.

"Sam… Do I know this Sam?"

Nell pressed her lips together as she closed her eyes, realizing the slip up she had made.

"Sam, he's … I know this, I swear I know this" he paused trying to remember. "He's my brother, or my friend. He's a big guy isn't he?"

Nell looked up in amazement. Maybe Hetty was wrong… telling him some things about his life could help awaken his real memories, that is what had happened.

Some information about herself had helped him remember how she had been when they met, and a vague memory of OPS. As for Sam, just a brief slip of the tongue in her story had reminded him of his Partner and probable best friend.

"That's right!. Can you wait one moment I need to go make a call. I promise I'll be right back" and Nell took off out the kitchen and stepped outside the house to once again report in to Hetty, and to suggest giving him brief information about his life or putting him in a room with his friends. It seemed like if he could remember these details about Sam and herself, from brief mentions or facts… then was it not worth a shot.

…..

As before, when she came back into the house he had moved from where had been and what he was doing, and had started something else entirely.

"You did the dishes!. You already made that meal for us… the least I should have done is wash the dishes or even just dry the dishes. I spoke to Hetty, I told her what you have remembered, and I told her that I think we should tell you more about you life and the people in it. She doesn't fully agree… but she said she will come and see you herself, and then she will make a decision about what we can tell you next. She says she will come tomorrow morning. I know it's maybe not what you want to hear… but its progress"

"Whatever you think is right. I trust you, I mean maybe I shouldn't, since in a way I've only known you a few hours" he said, hoping Nell picked up on the fact that he was trying to have a bit of a laugh at himself and his situation.

"I don't know if it's too early to have a rest, but I don't know how long its been since I slept, and I'm pretty tired."

"No that's fine, I suppose you wouldn't have had much sleep in the hospital. I'm going to wait up a while. I'll speak to you in the morning" She watched him leave the room and turn in the direction of the bedrooms. She imagined he would be quite tired, and she hoped he would be able to at least a few hours sleep. But she knew that she wouldn't get much, or any sleep for that matter. She had been really tired after yesterdays work and the mugging, but she couldn't get to sleep. She had spent the night rolling about the bed looking at her alarm clock, or at her ceiling. She had desperately wanted some sleep, any sleep so that could wake and realize that everything that had happened that evening had just been a bad dream. That she wasn't to blame for Callen forgetting his 'family' and colleagues.

…..

#4

When "Greg" woke up it was dark out. Looking over at the clock he realized that he had slept for almost 8 hours. Deciding that he wasn't tired anymore he got up and planned to go into the lounge to see if there was anything he could read. But when he left the room he had been sleeping in he saw a light coming from the end of the hall. He assumed the light was coming from the lounge, and that meant that either Nell had left the light on when she went to bed or she was awake – if she had even gone to bed. He walked down the hall slowly and quietly in case Nell actually had gone to sleep. Last thing he wanted to do was wake her up if she actually was asleep. When he reached the end of the hall he looked round the corner to find that she actually was wide awake.

"The bed too hard to sleep on?" he asked trying to sound curious rather than voicing the actual concern he felt.

Her head jerked up and he found her looking at him, but it was almost like she wasn't seeing him clearly.

"Tell me honestly, when did you last get any proper sleep?" this time he didn't even try to hide the concern in his voice.

"I… it was… Thursday night, so... something like 40 hours. I think. I don't know anymore" her head bobbed as she turned her head following him from the entrance of the room to where he sat down next to her, like her head was getting too heavy to hold up.

"Why don't you go and get some sleep. You obviously need it. I won't tell anyone, if that's what your worried about"

"I know I need sleep, I want sleep… I just can't get to sleep" she started to sob.

"Hey, come on. There's no need to cry." He reached round with one hand, using his thumb to wipe up her tears. "What's wrong that's keeping you up and making you feel the need to cry. Don't worry about me telling anyone what you tell me. I only know you, so I may tell you at lunch just to spice things up" he knew that made very little sense, but he was just trying to not be too serious in the hope it would maybe put her a little at ease, so she could let whatever was bothering her out, so she could get the sleep that she so obviously needed.

"Its my fault your… not you. You could have been killed trying to protect me, and as if that isn't enough, you don't remember any of us. What if you never really remember us. Sure you remember stuff about us, but that's not the same as actually remembering us. I don't know what work would be like for everyone if you weren't there. Oh god what about Sam, you and he are so close… him and his family, It's not just us that this would affect, what about Sam's kids… your practically their uncle. I messed up, I messed this – you – up for everyone. How am I meant to sleep when it feels like I have the weight of what I've done, pressing down on my shoulders. I'm sorry Callen" she wouldn't realize till later just what she had told him.

He picked up on some of the things she had said. But decided it would be best to try to help her sleep, he could query her about some of the things she had said later in the day… when the sun had risen.

"Nell, I don't blame you for what has happened to me, and I can't imagine anyone else would either. I told you before, I trust you, and I don't believe for one second that you're to blame for any of what has happened to me, if anyone believes you are to blame, then they can't really know or care about you. Even if you were in some small way responsible for part of what happened, I forgive you"

He lifted his arm and put it over her shoulder and pulled her over towards him, to the point where they were practically hugging. She was so tired that her head flopped over to the side till it was pressed between his head and shoulder. He suspected she was asleep now, and despite feeling that it may be crossing a boundary he turned his head and placed a soft kiss on Nell's head.

…..

Nell awoke to find herself laying on her side on the couch with a coat draped over her. Initially she couldn't remember where she was or why she wasn't sleeping in a bed, but once she sat up and looked around, everything came back to her. She could hear the pitter patter of rain hitting the window, She couldn't remember the last time it had rained, it always seemed to be sunny and fairly warm.

"Ah sleeping beauty, you're awake. Here, have something to drink" she turned towards the kitchen and saw Callen walking into the lounge carrying 2 mugs. As he got closer he stopped and extended his arm offering her the mug. She thanked him and brought the mug to her lips to have a sip of whatever it was.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked before taking another sip of what she now knew to be tea.

"I found you sitting in here about 3am, so you would have asleep for something like 7 hours. Your phone was ringing about half an hour ago. But you looked like you needed the sleep more than a call" He sat down in the arm-chair and drank some more of his Coffee, wanting to give her a bit of time before he asked her about some of the things she had said last night.

Nell reached over to the small table that sat in front of the couch to get her phone, thinking that it was rather odd for anyone to be calling her so early on a Sunday morning. Unlocking her phone she found 2 missed calls, 1 from OPS and the other from Eric. Deciding to wait a while before calling Eric back she put the phone back on the table face down.

"You really looked like you needed that sleep. Although from what you said about how long you had been awake, I'm surprised you didn't sleep for a while longer" he said still feeling a bit concerned for the young woman. "How's your tea?"

"It's very nice, did you put something in it" she hadn't realized yet that she hadn't told him that she drank tea

"There was a jar of honey in the cupboard next to the tea and coffee. Thought it might sweeten the tea a little. Do you not like it, I can make you a fresh cup"

"No it's really nice, Thanks. About last night, thanks, for helping me get to sleep I mean" Nell felt a little ashamed that she hadn't been able to get to sleep until she confessed her concerns about the last few days to "Greg".

Just then they heard the front door to the house open and then close.  
'Greg' turned his head towards the door to find a short older woman

"Ms Jones, How are we getting on. Anything new I should know about" The older woman addressing Nell.

"No, nothing new since I called in yesterday evening" Nell answered.

"Very well. You will be pleased to know that LAPD managed to locate and arrest the gentleman from the other evening. Neither of you appear to have been specifically targeted. Just a case of Wrong place at the wrong time. Would you mind giving us a few minutes" Nell stood up and moved through to the Kitchen, while Hetty sat down to assess Callen.

"I'm Hetty. Hetty Lange. Ms Jones tells me that you have been regaining certain memories. As I mentioned to Nell, it turns out that neither of you were targeted the other night. So I feel that is safe enough for you to return to your own home, and allow you to try to regain your real life" She could see him looking at her with, what could only be described as confusion.

"I understand that what I am about to tell you may be confusing. But everything that has been done, has been done to protect you, and I'm only tell you now because Ms Jones was quite insistent that this is the best way to help you regain your memories.

Much of what I'm going to tell you must be kept secret to protect yourself and your colleagues.

Your real name is not Greg Keller" She paused for a moment to see how he would react. When he made no moves to leave the room, or to say anything, she decided to continue. "Your Name is G. Callen, We don't know what the G stands for. You were in an orphanage for some time, and passed through 37 foster homes before you were 18. You work for NCIS as a Special Agent in Charge, here in Los Angeles. I have worked with you for almost 8 years, but you have worked for NCIS for over 10 years. Before that you worked for the CIA, FBI and DEA. You don't have any surviving parents, your mother was killed when you were very young…" she stopped as she was interrupted

"Clara… you knew her. You were trying to help her"

"Yes Mr Callen. That's correct. I didn't get to her in time, but I did manage to recover you and your sister, and brought you to America. Before you ask, your sister died many years ago. For the time being you will remain on leave from work, until we can assess if you are fit to return to work with us. Ms Jones will return you to your home, and leave you with contact details if you need to get in touch with us." Hetty reached into her bag and pulled out a small clear bag that had several items in it.

"These are yours. Your Wallet, House keys, Phone, and your ID badge. I will hold onto your gun for the time being, for safety" he reached out and took the small bag from Hetty. He opened the bag and lifted out and opened his wallet. He looked at his driver's license taking note of the name, address and he date of birth. He stood up and put the wallet in his back pocket, before reaching into the clear bag and removing his keys and phone to put them in his front pocket. Reaching in for the last item, he couldn't help but wonder what it would actually be…. He removed it and opened it to find his NCIS credentials. He couldn't deny that seeing the Agency ID badge with his face on one of them woke something in his mind, just a flash of a group of people who he felt he knew, and a name.

"Did I know a Lara?" he asked Hetty

"Yes, she was your direct superior for many of your first few years at NCIS. She was murdered almost 4 years ago"

Despite not really remembering the woman, he felt like had just been punched in the gut.

"I'm afraid that we know very little else about your life that I can tell you about. It's unlikely that the CIA or DEA will discuss much of your involvement with them. From here on, I fear that only you can give yourself the answers you seek. I would ask that we have a discussion in a week or so, to see if we can perhaps return to you to some aspect of active service within the agency. I would ask that you maintain your 'Greg Keller' identity at the hospital to avail any unnecessary questions "

Shortly after that Hetty left, leaving Nell to deal with Callen. Despite having more questions, he decided to keep them to himself for the time being.

…..

Callen was sat in the passenger seat of Nell's Red Mini, watching the building they were passing. He was feeling quite apprehensive about being taken to his actual home rather than the place he had stayed overnight, before learning that he wasn't who he thought he was. What bothered him most was that Nell had lied to him, Ok he didn't really know the young woman that well, but he thought that he could trust her. Although she had said several times that she was only telling him things that she had agreed with Hetty. He hadn't even felt up to asking her about some of the things she had said yesterday, but he wasn't sure if that was because he felt betrayed or if it was something else. He noticed that since Hetty had left, Nell had said almost nothing to him… except for asking if he was ready for her to take him home, and he didn't know if this was just due to her maybe feeling ashamed for lying to him.

He was starting to wonder where he actually lived… they had left the coastal, bypassed the city and started passing through the suburbs. Could he actually live somewhere like this, he couldn't remember where he had lived, nor had he imagined where he would live. But after finding out he was a federal agent he was curious to see where such a person would live. He was about to find out.

Nell pulled up outside a house, put the car in park and switched the engine off, turned to Callen and said "This is you"

He took off his seat belt, opened the door and got out into the rain… he stood and looked at the house in front of him. The area seemed well taken care of, the house in front of him and the surrounding homes all looked smart and well maintained. He reached back into the car to lift his bag, before starting to move towards the front door… HIS front door. He reached into his pocket for his keys, pulled them out and inserted them in the lock. He turned his head and spoke to Nell who had by now got out of the car, and was standing at his side, "Any idea what I should be expecting here?"

"I've no idea, I've never been here before" She looked and sounded as curious as he himself felt.

He turned the key and pushed the door open. Stepped inside out of the rain and looked around the open space, somewhat shocked.

"Do you know, did I just move in here?" he must have just moved in he thought, all he could see was a chair, a lamp, a bundle of books and a small box on the fireplace.

"I think you've been living here for a few years now" She sounded as surprised as he felt.

He dropped his bag and went to look around the rest of the house, leaving Nell standing just inside the door.

He came back to the main room looking positively baffled.

"How can I have lived like this, there's no table, no bookshelf, Hell there isn't even a bed. How am I meant to sleep well if I'm laying on the floor.

"Well, you seem to have managed Ok on the floor for a while. But I can help you find a bed and whatever else you think you need, if it will help"

"Do you actually want to help me, or are you just saying this because it's what you and Hetty agreed you should do" he said with a bit more anger and frustration than he had intended.

"No, I mean it, I want to help you. I didn't say anything to you about who and what you really were because Hetty said it was the best thing to do, She is my boss, and she said she has done this with agents before" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper that he could see had already been written on. "Here, this number is for Hetty , so you can make your arrangements with her. The number on the back is my personal number, if you need any help or if just want to talk. She turned around and opened the door to head back to her car. She had only stepped over the threshold when she stopped and turned back to face Callen. "Thank you for last night, For helping me get to sleep. I was being honest about wanting to help you. I owe that much at least" with that she turned and closed the door behind her as she moved out to her car. He looked out the window and watched her drive off

…..

#5

The more that Callen looked around his house, the less he found… With the exception of the Chair, some books, the box on his mantle, a few mugs, a jar of coffee and some tea bags, all he found was a bed roll, some clothes and a box in the fridge that he guessed had been food… a long time ago anyway. "How the hell could I really live like this. I bet that there are homeless folk with more possessions than I have. I don't know who I WAS, but it's not who I'm going to BE". This would sound better if there was someone else here to hear me rambling, he thought. He sat down in his chair and ran his hands over his face and head, Deciding that the best thing to do in that moment, was try to sleep and start tomorrow the way he wanted his life to be from then on, whether that involved working for NCIS… was something he would have to think about.

He moved into what he suspected was the bedroom, got changed and lowered himself onto the bedroll and tried to lose himself to sleep as it got darker and darker.

Much though he tried , sleep eluded him.

After a couple of hours he decided to check his phone to see if there was anything on it that would reawaken his missing memories, he reached to lift it out of his trouser pocket. Unlocking it, he found himself wondering why he could remember how to use this phone, but not remember his family… Nell had said he HAD family – present tense, unless that was a lie to control him in some way.

Looking through the phone he found dozens of contact listings… a few of them being actual people, at least going by the names. Several sets of text messages, that didn't remind him of anything after reading the full conversations. Looking at the pictures on the phone was the biggest eye opener… there may only have been a few pictures that were of people, the others looked like thumb prints, blood spray, vehicle number plates etc. The photos of people looked like group shots, with a couple of faces that jumped out at him. There were images with Nell and a taller woman (both looking quite close), One with Hetty and himself, One with a well-built colored man and himself (also seeming quite friendly), and then the last picture Had the well-built colored guy, a tall skinny blonde guy with glasses, a man who looked like he had been sleeping rough, who was looking intently at the tall woman, himself, Hetty and Nell. There was something familiar about some of the people in the picture.

Since he knew 2 of the other people in the group picture, he decided he would ask Hetty or Nell… well he would, if he thought he could really trust either of them.

He looked at the picture again and zoomed in on each of the faces…

The colored guy, must be the Sam that Nell mentioned. None of the others in the picture were 'well built' that matched what he recalled when he heard Nell mention this Sam. Were these people who he worked with, or were some colleagues and the rest being friends.

Ha, friends… a man who apparently has friends surely would have been missed by someone. He had no missed calls, no unread text messages and he hadn't had anyone knock on his door since he got home just to see if he was ok.

When he thought about it, the only person who had been there for him was Nell, and he hadn't exactly treated her all that well after finding out she hadn't been completely honest with him.

Deciding to try again to fall asleep he locked the phone and it down at the side of his 'bed'. This time however he did manage to get to sleep for a few hours.

…..

Over the next few days Callen kept himself busy. He started off by getting to know the area he lived in, setting off in one direction to get lost before finding his way home, via a grocery store. The next day he walked off in a different direction and repeated the previous days activity, He found that despite enjoying the taste of coffee, It would be healthier to Drink Orange juice or water. Later each day he would cook something to eat for that evening, and the eat it, followed by a shower and the moving to 'bed' to think over what he had been told about himself, in the hope that it would stir something within his mind. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask someone who knew him, but he didn't want to call Nell or Hetty to ask them, As much as he didn't want to ask them due to lack of trust, he wanted to try to get 'there' on his own. Although he had received a few calls from Nell… He hadn't answered the calls, but he was still curious why she would be calling him.

By this point he had given up on getting a full nights sleep, since he was managing to keep very active on the 3 hours of sleep he did get. So he let it go and moved on with his life.

On the Thursday afternoon, Knowing he had his check up appointment at the hospital the next day, he thought it wise to go over his 'Identity', so he couldn't be caught short about any aspects of his identity that the hospital knew. This actually helped him, especially when he started to mix what details he knew the hospital had for him, with the details that Hetty and Nell had given him. Focusing on his name actually unlocked a large part of his past to him.

He remembered telling the Doctor that the name Greg Keller was familiar, and he suddenly realized why… he had used that name when he was CIA, when he worked with his 'wife' Tracy up till she hung him out to dry while undercover on an op.

He found that he could now remember most of his life from his youth, through his life including his training at FLETC, working for the CIA, the DEA, the FBI and joining NCIS. He remembered working on an op involving oil in Russia, An op from London involving Russian mob, he remembered working undercover operations for NCIS, in particular one in Serbia.

So he had to wonder why he could remember all this, families he stayed with while in foster care, different agents he had worked with at FBI, CIA, DEA and even NCIS, but not the people he worked with now… people that he , based on pictures, was close with.

…..

After leaving his check up with approval to return to his work (or whatever work the Hospital thought he did), he decided to contact Hetty for their discussion regarding his possible return to service, especially since the Doctor said it was a good sign that he had already had memories return, and that further interactions with friends, colleagues and work place could be good for him.

Receiving a swift response from his short 'Next of Kin' they arranged to meet up that afternoon. She agreed to have someone pick him up and bring him to her office.

…..

He arrived at this oldish building in what appeared to be a mostly residential area, escorted in from the car park to the buildings by an unfamiliar agent. But the agent didn't seem to know Callen either, so that was a little easier… he didn't know how he would react to someone else who DID know him, when he wouldn't know them.

"Ah, Mr Callen I see you got here safely. Have we had any further progress with your memories" Hetty asked while guiding him to what appeared to be an office area.

"Please take a seat. And tell me what your doctor has said"

"Very nice building, Are you sure this is a Federal Agency office… it's the least formal building I can remember having ever been in." he Paused to take a breath while looking around the building from the office. "As I told you, I spoke with the Doctor this morning. He says he is very pleased with the progress I have made with my memory. So far I can remember everything up until late 2000, including my time with the company, FBI and DEA, as well as joining NCIS. I remember my training at FLETC and the firearm certifications for my service weapon. Which I would like to get back if it's all the same to you." He looked at her, not showing any fear about her or his situation.

"I see. By all means I can arrange for you to have your weapon returned, provided you can prove you are still proficient at the firing range. I'm assuming this indicates you wish to remain with the agency"

"Well, I know that I've been with NCIS for longer than any other agency. So I figure I like it here, I see no reason to look elsewhere for work. Maybe you can answer a couple of questions I have…"

"By all means Mr Callen, ask away"

"Firstly, who is the director. Is it still Tom Morrow?"

"No, Our current director is Leon Vance"

"Ok. What is it you do here?"

"You know you work for NCIS, yet you don't know what we…"

Callen cut her off

"No, I know what NCIS is tasked with. But I know that no federal Agency operates out a place like this. Unless I've missed a few things, the nearest NCIS field office is San Diego. So what is it that you, no… what do we do here?"  
He watches her lean back in her chair, with a smile growing on her face.

"We are NCIS. For the last 8 years you have worked for the Office of Special Projects. We investigate in a more covert manner than the rest of the agency"

…..

Eric was returning to OPS after having taken a break. When they have a delicate case to work on, he rarely got enough time to have a proper break. He isn't allowed food or drink in OPS by order of Hetty. Not that he would agree that having something to drink in OPS would really be a risk, But he freely admits he is afraid of his short scary boss, and doesn't want to risk her anger being turned in his direction.

Just as he exits the hall way into the main 'room' of the mission, he sees Hetty guiding someone to her office. He freely admits to walking a little slower so he could see who it was. Just as he starts moving up the stairs he gets a good look at the man who has just sat down. He recognizes who it is. He had heard that Callen had been injured protecting Nell last week, and rumour was that Callen didn't know who he was. So why would he be speaking to Hetty alone, a week later… Surely it doesn't mean that….

He turns his attention to the stairs and runs up the remaining stairs 2 at a time, then running and turning into OPS. Stopping for as brief second to see who else was in the room, he takes a breath.

"Nell, did you know Callen was coming in today"

"He isn't coming in today. Hetty said he's taking time off. Did you manage to check Staff Sergeant Skinner's Laptop?. Deeks called asking if there was anything Sam can use when they start interrogating him"

"Nell, listen to me. Callen is down stairs, right now, talking with Hetty, in her office. I just saw her walking him in."

Nell spun round on her chair to face Eric, not quite believing him. Callen hadn't answered or returned any of her calls, yet he had managed to speak with Hetty, and arranged to come in for some reason she couldn't figure out.

"Are you sure it's him?" she asked, worrying about what it would mean if he was here.

"Nell, go out there and look for yourself, It's definitely Callen"

…..

"If you are sure that is what you think is best Mr Callen, then I will make a call. I will let you know once I have everything arranged." Hetty said standing up from her seat.

…..

By the time Nell put her tablet down, and rushed out of OPS to the balcony that ran all round the edge of the central section of the mission, all she could see was Hetty handing Callen a key and guiding him out of the building.

Before she could try to analyze what she had seen, Hetty turned and looked up at her

"Ms Jones, When you have a moment, my office" Hetty turned and returned to her office.

…..

#6

"Hetty, Callen didn't quit did he?"

"Mr Callen is indeed going to be leaving us. Can you gather the items in his locker, here is the key, along with what he left in the Mercedes and can you then arrange to drop them off at his house. After that you can finish"

Knowing that Nell is seeking some explanation to what has happened she looked up at the young analyst

"He doesn't feel that he is suitable for his position, given his recent condition. Could you refrain from discussing this with your colleagues"

…..

*Knock Knock*

Callen walked out of his bedroom to his front door. Considering that in the last week of being home, he had no one knock on his door. Nor had he had anyone call him on the phone, apart from Nell… He still wasn't sure why he hadn't answered, was it just that he felt betrayed, was it more to do with the fact that he felt betrayed after trusting her or was it something else. He went to the door curious to see who was it could be

Opening the door "Hi… Nell. What can I do for you"

He couldn't help but think that she looked rather tired, but that could just be due to a long day at work. He knew how long days at Federal agencies could end up being.

"Hetty asked me to bring you the stuff in your locker and what you had left in the car the night that… the night you forgot"

"Ok, you want a hand bringing it in" even before he finished talking, he had started walking out to Nell's car

"So that's all we get. I work with you for 4 years and you don't even tell me that you're leaving NCIS. What about Sam or Kensi, do they get to know your not coming back. Or because you don't remember us, we don't deserve to know, should we not care."

Grabbing 2 bags from Nell's trunk he turned to walk back into the house.

"You don't understand Nell. You don't know my reasons"

"Well explain it to me" She grabbed the third bag and followed him.

"Look Nell, I'm not the guy I was.. I can't do … what it is you people do, as part of a team."

"That's a load of bull. I've read your personnel files, your reviews.. You were born for what we… what you did, or do… How can you just walk away from your family?" she said, starting get emotional again about him leaving.

"Family, the sort of family that lie to one another, or never check up on one another.

Other than you and Hetty, I don't know any of you. How am I supposed to protect you all, cover my partners back when I don't know who he is or how he reacts"

Nell was knocked back by his reply. It actually made a lot of sense. A lot more than she expected from the amnesic special agent

"That doesn't mean you have to resign. It's a medical condition, you could stay on medical leave until your memory comes back"

"And how long should I stay like that… what if my memory never comes back. What if what I know now is all I will ever remember. I can't sit at home and do nothing but cook, clean and mow the lawn. I've been doing this kind of job for a long time. If I can't do this, then I can do something that I do remember how to do, that won't put anyone in jeopardy.

"Remember how to do… what job do you remember doing?"

"I've been a special agent for a long time. I have plenty of experience working undercover, and plenty working solely in an investigative role. So I go back to what I know how to do, on my own. Did Hetty give you a note for me?"

"She did, sorry…" she reached into her jacket pocket and handed him a small envelope "Forgive my curiosity, but what is actually happening. Your being almost as cryptic as Hetty"

He opened the envelope, read the contents then folded it up and put it in his pocket

"Officially as far as You, Eric, Sam, Kensi, the hairy detective or anyone else are concerned, I am no longer NCIS. That is the situation, no deviation. Not unless Hetty or I tell you otherwise. Ok"

"So what are actually doing then, or should I not know that either. Because I know Hetty could have had this stuff dropped off to you another way, one that didn't involve me. Or you could have collected it yourself when you were in the office"

"Nell. I don't know who I can trust. I don't even know who I should know to know if I can trust them. You know, because Hetty trusts you… and despite this last week … I trust you. I'm being reassigned for a few months so I can get back into the swing of things. I'm being reassigned as Special Agent Afloat on the USS Seahawk. Officially I've to have nothing to do with OSP. In 6 months, we'll see where I am… if I can return to my 'family' or… if I don't."

He turned and walked into the bed room with his 2 bags, dropped them and returned to the lounge.

"About last week.. I didn't mean to 'attack' you like that. I know what I said, and I know you were only doing as you were told. So…"

Nell was taken aback at Callen more or less apologizing. She had heard he didn't believe in apologizing… apparently it was some sort of rule

"Do you want something to eat, or have you got plans … with your friend"

"You almost sound jealous agent Callen" She said trying to rib him a little

"Although if it's as good as the last time you cooked, I'd be more than willing to help you out with that problem" She quietly chuckled and moved her mouth into a smile, while trying to get a read on him.

…..

"That was really nice, thank you. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what did Hetty tell you about everyone else, Cos I'm guessing you still don't remember them or you wouldn't be going to work elsewhere"

Callen lifted the dirty plates, placed them in the sink and turned back to face Nell.

"She told me their names, and pointed out who was who to me. I had a few pictures on my phone, and since both you and Hetty are in one of the pictures, along with that guy I saw in the office in shorts, I figured you were all my co-workers".

Deciding to tell him something about his 'family', she started with who he was closest to.

"Sam is an ex SEAL. Like you said when I mentioned the name to you, he is your friend, probably your best friend. You've been partners for about 7 years, I think you spend a lot of time with him and his family, his kids call you Uncle Callen.

Kensi is… well she can be tough to describe, if you don't haven't met. She's a bit of a tom boy, really tough, and a great sniper. She's quite like you in that she doesn't have much family, just her mother… and You and Sam, you're like big brothers to her.

The Guy that you saw in shorts.. That's Eric, he's your technical operator.

He's also my … partner. at least that's what he says." She stopped for a second to smile thinking of the first time Eric had called them the partners of OPS.

"and the Hairy Detective, as you called him is Marty Deeks. Hetty brought him onboard as your LAPD Liaison. You and Sam like to make a fool of him, but I think you do like him, you just don't want anyone to know. He really is good, according to Kensi, especially when he is undercover as a homeless person." She paused to think how to ask what she was wondering.

"When are you supposed to ship out?, to the Seahawk I mean"

"By the end of the week. I just need to prove I'm still proficient with my service weapon. Then I'm good to go. Not like I really have anything holding me back. Obviously I don't have a biological family to be here for. I doubt I'm involved with anyone, since no one has been by to see how I'm doing. And it's not the first time I'll have been an Agent Afloat, and since the carrier is based out of Norfolk, its less likely I'll encounter anyone that I'd come across if I'm able to return to OSP.

I just don't know which Office I'll be reporting to"

He turned his gaze towards Nell, and started speaking again.

"So, how are you sleeping ?"

"Honestly, not great... I've been getting an hour here and an hour there. But it's giving me extra time to read, or watch videos on the internet. So it's not all bad."

Callen looked across at Nell, and couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief.

"Why are you not sleeping… don't tell me you're still blaming yourself for what happened. I told you before, I don't blame you.

"Maybe you and the others don't. But I do. I know that I didn't try to shoot you, and didn't cause you to lose your memory. But my head won't acknowledge the facts.

Apart from that, when I close my eyes I still see him trying to mug us, and you putting yourself between the gun and me… putting yourself in harm's way. I wasn't worth what happened to you… I'm just an analyst, I'm not a field agent like you guys. I would have been replaceable."

She had started to softly sob while talking. Things had been building up, and she had barely managed to maintain a front while at work, so that no one would see how recent events had really affected her. Normally she would have spoken to her sister if she had been upset, Or to Kensi or to Eric about what had been going on. But Kensi was overseas, Eric would have looked at and treated her differently if she had told him, and she couldn't explain everything to her sister, because she didn't know the real 'world' that Nell lived in.

That left herself and Callen… She had tried writing everything down that had happened, when that didn't work she had reluctantly tried calling Callen. When he had failed to answer her calls, she started drinking a lot of coffee and reading as many books, papers, and intelligence briefings as she could to bridge the void when she wasn't at work.

As he listened to her and watched her 'walls' break down and the sorrow and upset build in her, he couldn't help himself from moving over to her and pulling her into his arms. He didn't know if this would have been his normal reaction, but he couldn't bare to see the young woman so upset, and do nothing to help comfort her.

He shushed her trying to help her relax and calm down, He told her she was ok, that everything would be ok and then kissed her on the top of her head, just as he had done a few days ago when he had found her exhausted and crying in the middle of the night.

Knowing she needed rest, and that she wasn't getting the sleep she needed, he let her go and stepped back from her, to look her in the eyes.

He looked very closely at the young woman's eyes to see just how tired she was.

Seeing how exhausted she was, he knew she was in no fit state to drive.

He opened his palm in front of her and told her to give him her car key.

She gave in and dug the key out of his pocket, and handed it over to him.

Even in her sleep deprived state she still trusted him, even though he wasn't the man she had known for the last 4 years. That is something she should talk to Nate about next time he was in town, she thought.

He put the key in a drawer in the kitchen then returned to Nell's side, to guide her into one of the other rooms. He knew that despite not having a bed, it was worth a try to try to help her get some sleep. She had managed to sleep when he was with her before, maybe she would be able to sleep beside him again. He wondered if this was overstepping a boundary, but he could live with her holding a grudge against him if it would help her sleep.

He sat down on the floor to the side of the bed roll, and asked her to lay down beside him. Once she did, he placed a pillow on his lap and indicated she should rest her head on it. He spoke softly to her, repeating that she could sleep, that everything would be ok, that he was there for her, while stroking her hair… after a few minutes he could hear her breathing change, He knew she was asleep. He sat awake for a while as the sun set and the moon rose changing the colours coming in through the window from a warm orange to a dark blue, till it was almost pitch black, with the only light remaining being the street lights. Eventually he drifted off to sleep with Nell asleep in his lap.

…..

It was early on the Saturday morning when Callen started to wake. Checking his phone he was surprised to find that it was just turning 7am. He had slept for the better part of 9 hours, the most he had slept since he found out who he was. So much for 3 hours being all his body needed. But the only thing that had changed was that Nell was with him. But why that should make a difference, he didn't know.

Looking down at her to check that he hadn't woken her when he reached over to check the time. He reached down and gently lifted the pillow from his lap and slid himself out slowly, and lowered the pillow onto to the floor so as not to disturb Nell.

He quietly left the room and moved to the kitchen to have a drink. Thinking, was that a good enough reason, of course it had nothing to do with the fact that it was a little creepy sleeping with, and then watching a woman almost 15 years your junior sleep, even if she was smart and attractive, a combination that he normally really liked in a woman. He couldn't help but feel that he was going to ruin the friendship he had with the young woman. But he couldn't deny that he had a powerful desire to protect her, even if that was from her own psyche. But how was he meant to do that without feeling like he was going too far. He knew what he would have thought if he had found a man, his age, sleeping with Nell… well, what he would have thought if he could fight the instinct to shoot the man. For the time being, the best he could do was focus on something else, and right now, that would be a long run.

Slipping back into his bedroom just as quietly as he had been when he left the room, grabbed some work out clothes and quietly exited to the bathroom to get changed.

Grabbing a door key he left the house and started running, with no actual destination or route in mind. Anything to distract himself from confusing thoughts of her.

…..

It was after 9am by the time Nell started to wake up. Initially she couldn't remember where she was, how she had gotten there or why she was sleeping on the floor. Then it all came rushing back to her, she was in Callen's house, in his bedroom and sleeping on his bed roll. She remembered being really tired, and laying down with a voice telling her that everything was ok. She felt awkward as she remembered how she had ended up in bed with Callen. Getting up she went in search of the bathroom so she could wash her face, and then she knew she would have to face Callen.

This was the second time she had been exhausted and he had been close to her, and managed to soothe her to sleep. Despite feeling like she had been the one taking care of him when he got out of the hospital… It had really been him taking care of her. Even when she didn't think she deserved that care, even though he still didn't really know her, He was taking care of her… Sure, he had covered her back or taken care of her (if injured) when she had been in the field with the agents, but it was different to whatever this was. It confused her that was for sure.

…..

Callen was almost home after a long run. It hadn't been the distraction that he had hoped it would be, and seeing Nell's car still parked outside his house had him trying to work out what do… keep running and hope she had left by the time he got home, Go in and pretend like nothing was wrong or go in and say that the situation that they had found themselves in was awkward and confusing. But then again, he would hopefully be gone in a weeks time, and be away for several months. Months where he wouldn't see or hear from her. It wasn't that he had real issue with her, it was just he didn't know how to deal with her while he was having non platonic thoughts about her, Especially since he didn't know if these thoughts were his or if they belonged to the guy that he used to be.

Opening the door, he didn't see or hear Nell. Thinking that maybe she was still asleep he thought it best to avoid the bedroom, and moved directly towards the bathroom to have a wash and get rid of the smell and sweaty build up from his run.

Not even thinking that Nell could be in the bathroom he didn't bother knocking and just opened the door.

"Oh shit, sorry" he stopped, turned and pulled the door shut. "I didn't think you were awake yet". If his thoughts weren't already mixing him up, walking in on her in the bathroom when she had no shirt on certainly didn't help.

"Sorry, I just wanted to freshen up a little" she said through the door, feeling mortified that he had seen her wearing so little. It wasn't that someone had seen her topless, It was because it had been him that had seen her. "Hope it was ok for me to use one of your cloths, I couldn't very well take a bath or shower, as I don't a change of clothes… that and it's not my house" She was really glad that he couldn't see her blush, although she wished she had stopped talking sooner than she had.

"Do you want something to eat, I'm making an omelette for myself anyway" he asked through the door.

"If you don't mind, that would be great".

No longer feeling the need to walk quietly, in case he woke her, he walked down the short hall and into the kitchen to start making breakfast.

While actually making an omelette wasn't enough of a focus to distract himself from the young woman in his bathroom, he started thinking about what he had to do before catching a flight to Norfolk.

Unfortunately he didn't have as much to plan and organise as he would have hoped.

So he returned his focus to what he was cooking. Making sure the mushrooms and tomatoes were perfectly cut, the eggs suitable whisked and that the frying pan was oiled and already heating on the stove.

Before too long he had 2 omelettes ready to eaten, and as if on clockwork, Nell appeared from the bathroom. As with last night, they stood on either side of the worktop and ate… neither one actually saying anything or looking at one another other.

"So…." Nell began, wishing she knew what she should ask. The silence was a little too much for her to take. She could quite easily cope with silence if she was alone and not in the mood to listen to music, or the TV. But silence wasn't something she was that used to when in the same room as someone else.

"Do you have anything planned, or…. just staying here till Monday" She felt she had to finish her question, especially since they had both finished eating and couldn't use eating as an excuse.

"Just got my bag to pack, and got to grab some groceries"

"I can give you a lit, if you'd like?" she felt like she had to offer, it would be rude not to.

"Thanks, but… no, Hetty gave me the use of car from the motor pool. So I should be ok. But really… thanks for the offer"

"Well then, I'm going to go, and do … stuff. If you need a hand with anything before you go, you have my number" Nell was moving to the front door hoping that he wasn't going to ask her for anything, but at the same time she was hoping he would ask.

"Nell, Your key" he pulled it out the drawer and handed it over to her.

"Thanks"

Thankfully he hadn't made a big deal out of her offering to help him, and had let her go out to her car after the customary 'good bye and take care' exchange.

He did at least wait at his front door until she started to leave, before giving a small wave to her, turning and closing the door behind him as she pulled away.

With Nell having left, he decided to go and have a shower… a cold one, and figured later he would go do his grocery shopping and start sorting through the bags Nell had dropped off yesterday

…..

#7

After Nell had left, Callen had managed to focus on other things and managed to get more done that he had expected or planned to do… It had actually surprised him how quick the rest of the day had passed. Considering that he had a couple of busy days before catching a flight to Norfolk, he was looking forward to actually getting back into some semblance of a normal working week. Work and dealing with people who didn't know who he was, or who he had been before the amnesia, sounded really good just now.

Luckily he found that he had everything he would need to take with him for his new assignment, which saved him from having to spend far too long in shops to get extra clothes or toiletries. He had never really seen the sense in spending $100 or more for a pair of jeans, They didn't last any longer than a $25 pair…

So having kept busy all day, he decided to retire to bed… he had nothing else to do anyway.

After getting changed he lay down and watched the change of colours from the sunset until he managed to doze off.

He had managed to slumber for a few hours before he was rudely awoken by the ringing of his phone… Not even bothering to check who it was, he managed to answer with a rather weary "Hello?"

"Hello Eric, can you come get me. This man won't serve me anymore, and won't return my car keys" Recognising the voice as Nell, he could tell that she was most definitely drunk. Despite the confusion that she caused in his mind, he knew he couldn't abandon her.

"Nell, its Callen… where are you?"

"No I don't want to talk about Mr Special Agent, can you come take me home please" She dragged out the 'please' like a kid would drag it out when asking a parent for a new toy. But she obviously wasn't aware of who she had dialled.

"Nell… Where. Are. You. Tell me and I'll come get you"

"I'm at Backstage on Culver Boulevard. When are going to get me" She had started to slur her words a little, convincing that Callen that he should hurry up.

"I'll be with you in 20 minutes" he hung up the phone, changed into a pair of jeans and grabbed his keys before running out of the house.

…..

It was a little before 1am by the time Callen found the place.

Walking in the door he kept looking around trying to spot Nell. Reaching the bar before he could spot her, he spoke to the barman and explained he was there to pick someone up that they wouldn't return her keys. After giving a brief description of Nell the barman told him where she had been sat down, and handed her keys to him.

"Nell, I've come to take you home. Do you want to go home" He stated, rather than actually asked her. Seeing she had obviously had a lot to drink, he helped her onto her feet and helped support her as they walked out. Passing the bar he thanked the barman, and then continued walking Nell out to the car.

He had walked a few ex partners out of bars like this, but he had never been worried about hurting any of them like was worrying about hurting Nell right now.

He managed to get her back to the car and get her seated and secured in the passenger seat, but she was out like a light as soon as she was in the car.

He drove back to his place since he didn't know where she stayed. He paid as much, attention to her as he was paying to the roads… He wasn't being unsafe, he just kept checking on her when he was checking his mirrors, or when he was stopped at traffic lights.

He kept thinking about how he was going to explain how she ended up in his house, when she had seemed to think she was calling Eric. He would let her sleep for however long she needed, and then he'd take her back to find her car, beyond that he didn't know.

…..

He managed to get home in less time than it had taken him to find that bar. He tried to wake Nell up, but she wasn't that responsive… sure she made some noses and moved her head about, but she wasn't in a fit state to walk into the house. Deciding that he would have to do something else, he got out the car and went to open his front door, he then went back to the car and lifted Nell out the car then into his arms so he could take her inside. He took her jacket and shoes off, and lifted her again and carried her into the bedroom to lay her down. After that he went out to shut and lock the car, before closing the door and grabbing a small basin from the kitchen in case she needed to be sick during the night. He had decided he would just sleep in his chair to avoid any issues when she woke up, but when he went into put the basin next to her she partially open her eyes to look at him and grabbed one of his arms while she just about managed to slur "Don't go"

Despite not thinking it was the best idea he had ever heard, he did agree to sleep beside her again. This time though, he lay down completely instead of sleeping sitting upright. She kept moving about in her sleep and mumbling what sounded like nonsense for a while. He lay awake listening to her mumbling, trying to figure out what she was trying to 'let out', eventually she stopped mumbling, so he decided he would lay back and wait till it was time to get up again.

…..

He opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, not remembering falling asleep or even trying to fall asleep. He noticed a weight on his chest, when he looked down he saw an auburn coloured head… remembering that he had picked up Nell after she got drunk, he started to worry in case she woke up and thought he had taken advantage of her, even though he knew he had done no such thing.

This was becoming a habit, the two of them falling asleep together. It was almost impossible for him to think about or focus on anything else when she was near by.

He started to think about what could have happened to her if he hadn't answered the phone… he knew there were always men out there that would hurt young women, or sexually take advantage of women who had had too much to drink. If that had happened and he found out it was because he had ignored the phone, he didn't know how he would have lived with himself. Although he started wondering why she would have been out, drinking so much, alone and so late at night… he couldn't really ask her that, could he?

Callen wanted to get up and brush his teeth, but when he tried to move, Nell started to groan… so he decided not disturb her, he decided to check the news and weather forecast, he got his phone out from his pocket and opened a News app. It suddenly occurred that he had no idea how he knew how to work his phone, he had never read a manual and no one had ever shown him… he just knew. He couldn't help but chuckle at the situation, he instinctively knew how to work the touch screen phone that had been returned to him, knew where everything was kept in his home and what his ATM code was… but he still couldn't remember much about the people he worked with, beyond the information he had been given. He was still trying to remain optimistic about the situation, hoping that his memories would come back to him… and at this moment he really wanted to remember Nell, so he could know what he actually thought and felt about her before the amnesia.

Reading through the news on his phone screen didn't really say that much, mainly just fluff pieces, the weather looked to be decent… not too warm, but not too cold either, Pretty much the same as most days in LA. He put his phone aside and laid his head down again and waited for Nell to wake.

It was another 2 hours before Nell started to wake… it was just turning 10.45am, so it wasn't like either of them had lost too much time, especially since it was Sunday.

She started to move and lift her head, trying to figure out where she was. She turned her head and looked in Callen's direction… it seemed to take her a few seconds for her vision to focus so she could see who she had been sleeping with.

"Where am I, and how did I get here?" she said using one hand to shield her eyes from the bright light

With Nell no longer laying partly on top of him, Callen move into a more comfortable seated position before answering her…

"You're at my place Nell… you called me, asking me to pick you up because a bartender wouldn't serve you and wouldn't return your keys. You seemed to think I was Eric, so I'm guessing you called me by mistake. I came and got you, and since I don't know where you stay, I brought you back here. I hope that was ok." Callen smiled at her, as he stood up

"Do you want a cup of coffee, and some Aspirin?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind" She softly groaned, confirming his suspicion that she was going to be feeling pretty rough for a while.

…..

"Coffee is ready whenever you are" Callen called from the kitchen as he dropped 2 aspirin tablets onto the counter.

He didn't know about Nell, but he was quite hungry… Deciding he would cook some French toast. If she wanted some, then that would be ok. If she didn't, he would eat it himself… it wouldn't go to waste.

It didn't take him long to make, even so, Nell hadn't appeared…

"You gonna come drink this before it gets cold" he couldn't help but chuckle a bit as he was calling to her.

No sooner had he finished calling to her, she appeared from the small hallways that lead to the bedrooms and bathroom.

"Do you have to talk so loud" she lifted the pills and dropped them in her mouth, followed by a sip of coffee to help swallow them.

"Here, have some French toast. At least it will be something to help soak up the alcohol you had last night" he smirked at her.

They settled down and ate. Nell drank her coffee while Callen drank from a glass of Orange juice. Neither one spoke for a while, but both having questions for the other.

Eventually Nell spoke.

"Thanks for picking me up. I don't even want to think about what could have happened to me if you hadn't"

Callen looked down as she finished speaking to him, Smiling at the fact that they had both had almost identical thoughts,

"What are friends for…"

"Still though, I owe you"

"Nell, you don't owe me anything. Unless you really want to do the dishes" he smirked at her, letting her know that he wasn't serious.

"Callen, if it wasn't for you I could have been with god knows who, in who knows where. Plus I was practically dead on my feet last week, and you managed to get me to sleep. So, yeah… I owe you"

"Ok, you can do something for me. You can answer a question. But after that we are even. Agreed!" he made sure that she knew that this wasn't up for discussion anymore.

"Fine, what do you want to know…"

He looked her over, almost as if he was looking for her Achilles heel.

"When you called me last night, you said that you didn't want to talk about 'Mr Special Agent' when I told you who I was, that I wasn't Eric. What did I do to you?"

"You didn't do anything wrong to me. I just… I …" She stopped and looked at her feet, trying to work out how to answer his question honestly, without actually explaining. "Since the mugging, you've been different towards me. Not in a bad way. It's just that you're not as withdrawn as you used to be. It kind of makes me want to spend time with you, and its messing with my head. 'cause it seems like you're pushing all of us away,"

He sat quietly, and thought about what she was saying. Their recent interactions had been on his mind a lot more than he wanted to admit. He was glad she hadn't asked him what prompted his question.

"Nell, can you help me pick up a few things before I ship out. I have most of my stuff sorted. But since I don't remember much after 2000, and I'm sure I've missed out on a few things. Can you help me pick up what any other agent afloat would have these days, either that or I can stick to using note pads and Polaroid cameras."

He could manage using the tools he was used to, but it was an excuse to spend some time with her that didn't involve one or both of them sleeping, or involve food.

The quick change in subject hadn't escaped her notice. But she chose to play along.

"Sure, whenever you want to do it… just say the word and I'll help you"

She smiled at his words, knowing he was giving her a way to get closer to him.

"How about today, Since I'm guessing you don't have work, unless you have plans…"

This was a G. Callen she didn't recognise… one that was nervous or unsure around women.

"Sure, I can do today. But before we go anywhere, can I use your mouthwash"

…..

It had been quite a busy few days for Callen.

Shopping with Nell on Sunday.

Time on the firing range with Hetty on Monday night, followed by cleaning his newly returned SIG.

Tuesday was spent partly at the bank making sure his gas, water, and power were set to be paid directly from his bank account while he would be overseas.

Wednesday afternoon was spent making sure he had the last of his gear packed before he was to head to San Diego, for the flight to Norfolk.

He wasn't sure he really needed a lot of what Nell suggested that he would need, but he could see the use in some of them. Having finished his packing, he took a walk to a bar a few blocks away, for a couple of drinks.

He had to drive down to San Diego in the morning, and while he was really looking forward to getting back to a daily job, he was going to miss residing in his own home, rather than the NCIS office/cabin on the Seahawk. But he knew that his cabin on the Seahawk would be lot more comfortable than his home. He still didn't know who he would be reporting to while assigned to the Seahawk, but suspected he would find out when he got to Norfolk.

…..

#8

It was early on Thursday morning when Callen woke up, his head was pounding. Obviously he had a few too many drinks last night, but he probably wouldn't have any alcohol while on the Seahawk, not because it was entirely prohibited, but because he was there as a representative of NCIS within the carrier group. It would be different when the carrier docked somewhere for some shore leave.

He had managed to get himself up, washed, dressed and fed before it even turned 9am. He decided to get his gear in the car so he could depart early.

He had just closed the trunk of the car Hetty had provided him with, and was going to check the house was secure before he left. Before he could even get back to his front door he could hear a car approach and slow to a stand. Turning slightly so he could get a look at who had pulled up, he recognised the little red car, and knew who it was.

He turned round fully and walked towards the cars driver, being genuinely curious why she was here…

"Morning Nell. What are you doing here"

"Hetty wanted to get her car back, and wanted me to give you this…" she lifted an envelope from her pocket and handed it over to him

"…and This" She reached back into the car and lifted out a box, wedging it under one arm, while using the other to close and then lock the car.

Nell looked up at his face as he read the letter contained in the envelope. She didn't know what it said, but hoped whatever it was would make his assignment easier.

Callen folded the letter and envelope and put them in his jacket pocket.

"So, how does Hetty expect me to get to San Diego, if you're here to take the car back" He knew that Hetty must have a plan, but what was it, and why send Nell instead of an agent.

"You're still using the car to get to San Diego. I'm bringing it back for her"

She lifted the box from under her arm and held it out to him.

"You haven't to open it until your on the carrier. So do you want to lock up and we can get going"

'Your up to something. But what' he thought.

…..

Traffic on the Highway was lighter than he had been expecting, he just wished he knew what to talk about with Nell. On the plus side she hadn't said much more than he had. Once again he found himself struggling to find thinks to talk about, he couldn't talk about what he had been doing, since it was all pretty basic and not likely to be of much interest to her.

"Didn't look like you have much baggage. You sure you have enough packed for months at sea?"

He was so glad Nell had said something, He had been a few minutes away from talking about his mower.

"I think I have enough. Besides, there are laundry facilities on board ships. Can you imagine 5000 sailors and pilots at sea for months at a time, with only a few changes of uniform."

"I guess I had never really thought about it, but that makes sense" she felt silly having admitted that.

"Life at sea isn't the way it was years ago where you had very few means of personal communications. It's a lot more comfortable, and depending on the length of your deployment you can get shore leave in some pretty nice ports"

He knew that when he had first been assigned as a Special Agent Afloat, he hadn't known what to expect. What he had found was much more civilised than if you believed conditions shown in old TV shows or Films.

Passing a sign he noted he had at least another hours drive ahead.

…..

"So there's the car key, and remember you'll need to present your ID on the way out"

He had his gear out of the car, and was waiting until Nell left before he went to report in for his flight.

She handed him the box from Hetty, reminding him the standing instruction about not opening it until he arrived on the Seahawk.

"I guess we'll see you, if you're going to come back to work with us again" She stepped back to lean against the car, not really wanting to say good-bye just yet

"You should probably head back now. You don't want to leave it too late or you will get caught up in the traffic when you get back around San Clemente"

He reached down into his pocket and fished something out, holding it within his grasp.

"Could you or Hetty try to… get someone to just take a drive past my place every so often while I'm away. Just to make sure there's no damage" He reached his hand out and opened his fist to reveal his door key.

"I'm sure Hetty can arrange that for you" She reached out and pocketed his key. She moved towards Callen, and tried to wrap her arms round him in a hug.

"Try and stay safe Agent Callen"

He had been surprised by her hug, he just hadn't expected it. Deciding to give in, he hugged her back. He held the hug for a minute and let go and pulled back from her embrace.

"You better take care of yourself Nell. I don't want to find out you've injured yourself or that you're not sleeping again" He looked her straight in the eye so she would know that he was being serious.

"Now go on."

He leaned over to open his bag and put the small box from Hetty inside, Closing the bag he lifted its strap over his shoulder and lifted his smaller bag. He turned and walked towards the building, partly turning round to see Nell get in the car and drive off to leave the base.

…..

A few hours later Callen arrived in Norfolk he found himself missing the warm sunlight he would have had in Los Angeles. Instead he found himself in heavy rain with quite a strong wind. He just had to check in and find out where the Seahawk was docked so he could board it and get his gear stowed away.

After checking in, he was grateful to be told that someone would give him a lift since the weather was pretty bad, and the ships dock was over a mile away.

While being driven to the berth he looked out the window seeing numerous new or extended buildings since he was last at Norfolk naval base, a few destroyers, submarines and amphibious assault vessels.

But up ahead he could see the Aircraft Carrier. It looked the same as the carriers he had been assigned to earlier in his career. But from what he had read in the last few days, there had been 2 additional carriers built to the same design, but with technical advancements in recent years, and the older carriers were brought up to the newer technical spec when they docked for overhaul and refuelling.

Arriving at the ships berth, he grabbed his bags from the car and thanked the NCIS agent that had given him a lift before closing the car door.

Walking up the gangplank behind a few sailors to be checked onboard by the officer of the deck, he reached into his jacket to pull out his ID badge and Assignment instructions, ready to be checked once the sailors had officially boarded.

He didn't have to wait too long… only a few minutes, and then it was his turn.

Providing his papers and ID as proof of identity he was quickly approved and was provided the location of the NCIS office/room and sent on his way.

His 'home' for the next few months was fairly small, but it had everything that he would need… power point for his computer and phone, connection for data services, a bed and space to store his clothes. Deciding to identify himself to the Captain he left his bags on the floor, grabbing only his ID and Badge, closed his cabin door and set off in the direction of the bridge.

It didn't take that long for him to find his way to the bridge, they layout hadn't changed enough for him to have gotten lost.

"Captain Owens, I'm Special Agent Callen… I've been assigned as your Special Agent Afloat for at least the next 6 months. I just wanted to introduce myself, and let you know that I'll do my best not to interfere with the operation of your ship if I need to investigate anything"

"Thank you Mr Callen. Hopefully you'll be a better fit than your predecessor; she seemed to get sea sick whenever we got into rough water. There should be a map in your cabin to help you find your way about. Now, if you don't mind I've got a ship to get ready for departure" The captain turned back to talk with his staff… he hadn't been nasty or stand offish, but It had been Callen's experience in the past that the Captain, and XO etc were rarely glad to have a civilian investigator onboard. But he knew that he wasn't on the ship to be 'buddy buddy' with anyone, he was there to deal with matters that were beyond basic crew discipline, and that was what he was going to do.

He decided to go back to his cabin/office to stow his gear, and the get his computer set up and connected so he could email his NCIS contact advising them that he had boarded the Seahawk, reported to the captain and they would be departing Naval Station Norfolk in the next few hours.

Re-entering his cabin/office he decided to report in first, and then he would put his gear away before he went to the mess hall for his supper.

Logging in, and emailing his report took him very little time, allowing him sort his clothes. Opening his bag he found the box from Hetty that he had forgotten about, with everything he had done today and Nell hugging him going round his head, it just slipped his mind. He sat down on his bunk and lifted the box out of his bag. It was just a plain brown cardboard box that had 2 small strips of sticky tape holding the lid shut. Grabbing his knife from the computer bag, he sliced the tape and opened the box to find a Sat Phone. It seemed like the last thing he needed at sea, in port he could use his cell phone, other than that he didn't see why it wasn't enough to just email his reports… if a situation were serious enough he could video call NCIS agents back in the states to request help or request someone to speak to a suspects family in person. 'You never know, it may be of use' he thought to himself. For the time being he placed the small box on one side of the desk and started putting his clothes away.

…..

"Ms Jones, When you have a moment can you come to my office"

Hetty, despite her size was probably more intimidating than Sam Hanna, who could have been described as well-built and more than a little intimidating – he was an ex SEAL, of course he would be large and intimidating and Nell couldn't think what she could have done to irritate or disappoint her boss. Hetty had always been good to her, rarely, if indeed ever, had cross words with Nell. She knew that people in the office thought Hetty was grooming her to replace Hetty at some point down the road, but there was a lot of what Hetty did that Nell just didn't really want to do, or wouldn't feel confident doing on a regular basis. The last time Nell had to fill in for Hetty was over 2 years ago after Hetty had been shot, and she had done her best, but she couldn't manage to do everything that was expected of her. Even then she was only dealing with part of Hetty's duties, part of the duties were performed by Lauren Hunter… who seemed to only do the parts of the job that didn't involve paperwork, or the parts where she irritated the staff.

"You asked to see me Hetty?"

"Yes, When you returned the car that Mr Callen was using, you logged the keys back into the system, But you left a key on my desk. I'm sure that isn't a problem, but you never informed me what the key was for"

"Um… the key. Agent Callen wanted me to give you the key, to see if you could get someone to check on his house every so often while he…" Nell stopped talking and discreetly looked around to make sure no one else was about that could overhear her talking. "…While he is… elsewhere. I should have spoken to you rather than leaving the key out in the open. I didn't think it would be an issue to give him peace of mind. Should I have said no?" Nell was looking quite nervous by now, Hetty tended to have same facial expression unless she was REALLY happy, or REALLY annoyed, so trying to read her face in other circumstance was nearly impossible

"Ms Jones. You did the correct thing. But there are very few of us here that know what is actually happening with him. I would like you to monitor the condition of his residence, Especially since you have been there quite often lately, so would attract less attention"

Hetty just looked at Nell, not actually saying anything else

"How did… I will take care of it" Nell reached over to lift the key, turned and walked back up to OPS.

She decided she would need to work out the best time to check the house, she didn't want to attract any attention that would lead to the LAPD getting involved.

…..

#9

Callen woke up, looking around him and not recognising where he was… He reached out till his hand reached the wall, so he could feel about for a light or lamp switch to get some light so he could see where he was. Finding the switch and flicking the light on he was confronted with a small room with no windows. It was far from the worst place he had woken up. He got up from the bed and felt about in his trouser pockets to find anything that would remind him where he was and how he got there… pulling a lump out of one pocket to see what he had lifted, he opened the black leather wallet and found an image of himself, flipping a section in the wallet he looked upon the gold shield. He remembered where was, how got there and why he was there.

Reaching over to lift his phone from the desk attached to the other wall of the room, waking it up the screen displayed the time as 0300. He had managed a few hours of sleep after reading over the crew roster for indications of anyone with previous charges through police or federal databases to keep an eye on that kept him awake well into the night. It hadn't been a waste of time, but there was no one with anything suspicious to make him think he needed to keep a closer eye on them, but he still had the crew rosters for the other ships in the carrier group to look through. It was too early to have breakfast, so he got changed into some exercise gear so he could have a run… it would be too dark to run around the flight deck, so it would be a run around the corridors until a bit later in the morning, when he could get washed and have some breakfast.

Running up and down the corridors helped focus his mind, he knew he was there to work, he had to stop thinking about his home… whether the grass would get too long. 'Shit, I should have arranged for someone to do it. Who would I have asked anyway. It won't be too bad, maybe a bit long, but it's not going to grow till it's a foot high. Stop thinking about your grass you idiot. The Job… Do the job, BE the Job'

It was 4.22am by the time he got back to his cabin/office, all he did was grab a towel and his shower gel and went to have a shower.

By the end of his run, he had been focused on what he was aboard the carrier to do, but standing under the shower head his mind slipped back to memories of home. Remembering seeing his home for the first time, first time since waking up in the hospital, feeling the rain fall on his face, hearing the rain drops fall on his jacket, standing at his front door with Nell standing at his side. Nell… He only seemed to sleep properly when she was beside him. 'You shouldn't be thinking about her, definitely not here'. He tried thinking about his runs, about having a beer in his back yard, He even tried thinking about Hetty and their chats. Too bad it didn't work.

…..

By the start of his second week aboard the Seahawk Callen had settled into the role as Agent Afloat. He was getting on with the crew, he was even managing to get along with the Captain and XO… helped by the fact that he had been out on the flight deck daily, assisting with the Foreign Object Damage walks before flight ops commenced in the mornings.

Despite this he spent much of his free time alone in his cabin reading intelligence briefings, and the ships newsletter, or listening to music on his computer.

He hadn't had much to report to whatever field office he had been loaned out to, just 2 incidents, neither of them being aboard the Seahawk.

One had been the suspicious death of a crewman on an accompanying frigate, which turned out to have been caused by an unreported allergic reaction to pecans. The other was an assault against a cook aboard a Cruiser en route back to Mayport. But he had attached the individual reports to his daily status updates, along with copies of the medical report, and interview transcripts none the less.

Even with very few incidents to investigate so far, he felt that he should have heard from whoever he was reporting to.

…..

By the end of the second week the ship had passed Greece, and was waiting to head south along the Suez canal, to support operations in the Gulf of Oman. Callen had been advancing his exercise regimen by twice a week visiting the ships gym in addition to his morning runs. He had started to feel a bit useless since there had been very little activity that required his involvement, but this was expected to change over the next few days, as there would be situations that he could be involved with due to his updated knowledge of counterintelligence, terrorism as well as supporting Navy and Marine staff in the region.

To pass the time Callen visited the post office, not that he expected to have received anything, he just thought it was better to check.

"Agent Callen, What can I do for you today… you sending or picking up?"

"Just checking if anything had arrived for me" He watched the specialist go check the sorting frame for any NCIS mail.

"You're in luck. Just the one though" the specialist smiled as he passed the A4 envelope under the bars.

"Thanks" Callen walked away, back to his Cabin trying to think who would have sent him anything. It couldn't be anything work related, as any updates would have been made available from the NCIS servers. Besides, who even knew he was on the Seahawk.

Getting back to his cabin, he closed the door behind him and sliding his finger under the flap to open the envelope. Pulling the contents out, he found a letter and a few photographs.

Placing the pages on his desk, he started looking through the pictures. Pictures of his house, pictures of his lawn, and a picture of his bedroom. But the bedroom now had an actual bed in it, the grass had been mowed and the front door had been painted.

Putting the pictures down on the desk, he lifted the letter, noticing that the letter had yet another picture attached. Deciding to check the letter first he started reading.

######################################

Agent Callen,

I hope you're well, You are missed here by everyone.

Sam has been asking almost daily if Hetty has heard from you since you 'quit', I think the only reason he hasn't started asking me is he is worried about how Hetty would react. Kensi hasn't been told yet, but if someone has to tell her it's going to be Deeks, he lost a bet with Sam, plus Eric said he wouldn't feel confident enough to tell her, in case she started getting emotional.

I realise that you probably still don't really remember them, but they still care about you, and I want you to know how they have been for when you get your memories.

I've enclosed some pictures to remind you of home, and of your family.

The group photo is from our Christmas party in 2011, last Christmas Kensi was on assignment, so the 2011 picture is the most recent picture of us all together.

I told Hetty your request about checking on your house while you're at sea.

She assigned the task to me, since I'm the only other person here that knows where you really are. I hope you don't mind, but I've done a little more than just checking on it. I enclosed pictures of what I've done. The door was a faded and looked like some of the paint wasn't in that good a condition, so I just gave it a fresh coat of the same colour. I cut your grass just to keep it looking cared for, so your place won't look uncared for, not that it really looked that way. I remember you mentioning about not having a bed, so when my friend Rose (who was moving) was going to throw it out, I thought of you. It's in really good condition and didn't cost anything, so if you decide you don't want it, it won't have cost you anything.

Best Wishes

Nell

######################################

Pulling the attached picture away from the letter, he looked at it… the same people who were in the picture he had on his phone were in this picture with him.

He couldn't really remember them, but he could see how happy they all were.

From the pictures had seen of them all together, he realised exactly what Nell had meant all those weeks ago when she had mention his 'Family'.

Thinking about what Nell had written to him, he knew he maybe should have been mad about her making changes to his home, but he knew deep down that she was just trying to help, and he couldn't fault her for being a true friend. He would need to get her something to say thanks, maybe something nice from wherever the ship docked next.

He lifted the group picture and pinned it up on the notice board, and put the letter and the rest of the pictures back in the envelope before putting the envelope in the laptop bag.

…..

"C'mon Hetty, You have to know where G is. I know he's not at his place, but someone has been, it's too tidy. His phone goes straight to voicemail every time I call, same thing when Deeks tries calling him."

"Mr Hanna, I cannot tell you what I do not know. He handed in his notice, after that it is no longer my concern where he may have gone"

Hetty stared back at Sam, her face not revealing a single thing to him

"If it will help return your focus to your active cases, I will enquire with personnel as to where his retirement package is paid. If I find out anything, I will let you know."

Knowing he would get nothing else from Hetty, he turned round and returned to the bullpen.

Once Sam was out of earshot Hetty dialled her phone.

"Ms Jones… I have a task for you. Come to my office when you have a moment"

…..

Nell had become wary about interaction outside of OPS with Sam or Deeks, Not wanting to reveal what she knew about Callen's whereabouts. She didn't like lying to either of them or Eric, but she knew he had a good reason for not being here, where he should be.

Managing to wait till Sam and Deeks had left to chase a lead, she slipped downstairs to report to Hetty.

"Ms Jones. I gather you have been taking care of Mr Callen's residence. Mr Hanna has noticed it is tidier than it is normally kept. Perhaps you should maintain a distance for a time, Painting the door may have been a step too far. Even if it did need attention"

Hetty could see Nell's mind working, trying to figure out how Hetty knew she had painted the door. But she wouldn't find out, not for as long as she still had breath in her body.

"I need you to contact our asset in Yemen. Make sure he knows extraction will be within the next 48 hours. Once you have done that, I need you to arrange a flight to Catania, and contact Navy fleet logistics to arrange transfer out to one our ships in the region. The Specifics will be available to you by the time you get back upstairs."

"I'll get right on it." Nell turned to return to OPS, but stopped at turned back to face Hetty

"Who do I book the flight for?"

"Yourself. I want you in the air within 3 hours. so make the arrangements, grab your go bag and I'll have you taken out to LAX"

…..

15 Hours… 15 hours to get from LAX to Catania.

Nell had tried to sleep on the flights, but she had been unable to work out why she had been sent to debrief this Asset, Why had Hetty not sent a proper field agent.

She eventually resigned herself to the fact that she would probably never find out.

Luckily when she landed in Catania she hadn't had to wait at baggage reclaim since she only had her go bag and her tablet, which managed to fit in the baggage lockers on the flight. This meant she could pass through the airport to the pick up zone where Hetty assured her, someone would be waiting to pick her up and take her to the base.

"Nell Jones?"

"Yes that's me." Nell pulled out her ID, so that the Navy officer could see that she was who she said she was

"If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the Base"

It was a short walk to the car, even so, the heat combined with a long flight were making Nell feel even more exhausted than normal, By the time they got to the Car, she was glad to be able to sit back and relax as she was driven to the base at Sigonalla.

"It will only take us 30 to 40 minutes till we arrive at the base, If you have any weapons you will have to present them, and your permit, when you pass through security"

Nell already knew this and had her knife and service weapon in an accessible place. Watching the scenery fly pass the window she leaned back and managed to fall asleep.

…..

Callen had still had very little to do… other than a few fights between crew members, there had been very little to do aside from threat assessments about the Seahawk and its accompanying ships, and checks on the dispersment of medications from the Sick Bay on each vessel in the carrier group.

Deciding that this would be as good a time as any to do a little target practice he grabbed his SIG and headed down to the target range. It wasn't as fancy as the firing ranges he had used on land, but it did the job. It was only paper targets held onto a wire in one of the "open" sections below the flight deck, but it was the safest way to do some target practice without damaging the ship or risking a ricochet.

When there was a target free, he stepped up to the line and squeezed off a few rounds into the paper target. When he was finished he collected the target and checked to see how his aim was, all his shots were grouped within the targets centre mass.

Pleased with his performance he left the target range to head back to his cabin.

He was going to call Hetty to see if she could give him detains of how to contact the person he was reporting into, since he had still had no contact.

When he got back to his cabin he grabbed the sat phone from the box he had been given, switching it on he started dialling the number he had in his own phone Hetty.

It took a few rings before someone answered

"Mr Callen, What can I do for you?"

"Hetty, I've not had any response from my NCIS contact. I'm hoping that you may know how I can get in touch with them"

"There is nothing to give you. You have been reporting in, and your reports are transferred to the CRFO. I would ask you to keep this phone switched on, and with you at all times. There is an upcoming operation that I will need my best people on"

"You know Hetty, you're a very cryptic person. Who am I actually reporting to?"

"You are reporting into OSP, just as you have when you recently worked as Agent Afloat"

"What happened to no one at OSP knowing that I'm still working for you?"

Callen was getting a bit angry by this point, although he was working his hardest not to let it show.

"Mr Callen. The situation remains as it did before you left. Only Ms Jones and I know you are still with us. Unless circumstances change, no one else will know until you feel ready. I'll be in touch"

With that Hetty had hung up the phone. Callen was starting to wonder what if Hetty ever told him (or anyone) the whole truth.

"Can Agent Callen Please report to the Bridge" came over the PA System.

Putting the Sat Phone in his pocket, he left his cabin heading to the bridge.

"I was requested to report"

"Agent Callen, is there some NCIS operation that I should be made aware of?"

"Sir?"

"Is there some operation going on. I have just received new orders, and I'm informed that there is another NCIS Agent aboard the incoming COD flight. So again I'm asking you, what is going on"

"Sir, I honestly do not know. I just spoke with my superior, and there was no mention about any other NCIS staff being assigned here. I was told that there may be an operation coming up. But I was given no other specifics. I'm just as in the dark as you are"

"Fine. I trust that if you find out what is going on, that you will brief me, especially since whatever is going on looks to involve my carrier"

"Aye sir. I find anything out that's relevant, I'll Brief you"

"Very Good. The COD should be here in a little over an hour. It would be beneficial if you be there when this other agent lands"

…..

#10

The flight deck was one of the loudest areas on a carrier (Even with ear defenders), and even with all the safety regs that were in place, it still had the potential to be one of the most dangerous, especially with the constant aircraft movements, launches and landings.

He had yet to officially be told why another Agent was being sent to the Carrier.

Hetty hadn't said anything about this happening, all she had mentioned was an upcoming operation. Not an imminent operation. It seemed a little odd to be replaced without being told you were even being reassigned.

He could see the flight deck crew scurry about on the flight deck preparing it for the incoming aircraft. It was an essential job, but didn't have any of the glamour like the pilots. Finishing their work they retreated back to the tower and waiting to start all over in a few minutes when the next plane was due to land.

Watching the C2 get lower and closer to the deck with each passing second, he wondered if he was going to have had contact with the new agent. Hetty hadn't mentioned a replacement or an additional agent, so he figured there was a good chance he would previously have met them. It would be an awkward situation if they knew him and he couldn't remember having met them. 'No point worrying now. Can't change what happened' he thought.

The aircraft had landed, and knowing that the crew only had a short time to get it unloaded and moved down to the hanger, he made a move to help the crew unload the it. It made sense to help anyway, he was a part of the ship's crew, and had his vest and ear defenders on anyway. Following the stream of crew unloading it, Callen grabbed a couple of bags of gear and moved it over to the 'island' so it could be distributed to the correct department, and returned back to the aircraft. The remaining bags and boxes that could be easily lifted had been moved already and all that remained were a few passengers. He moved away from the hatch to allow everyone to get off, looking at the uniforms… 3x Marines, 1x Navy crewman and someone not in a uniform. He assumed this must be his 'colleague'.

The Agent walked towards the 'island', their face obscured by a helmet and the people walking in front of them. Eventually the Marines and Navy crewman passed him giving him a clear view of the agents face.

He knew the Agent, It was…..

…..

"What the hell are you doing out here?" He knew he sounded confused, but he just wasn't expecting this.

"There was an operation that required you on land, so I was sent to cover for you. But another situation has arisen that needs a quick response.

I'll brief you with everything you need to know if you can take me to the NCIS office"

Callen turned around and started walking to his cabin/office, expecting his colleague to follow him.

…..

"You have to be kidding. Why am I not hearing this from my superior. Why have I been told nothing about this, Especially since this has to have been in the planning since around the same time I was assigned here"

"I don't know why you hadn't been told. I know the original plan, and I was only briefed on the other situation half an hour before the plane took off. I know that the Director has been trying to pull some strings with SECNAV, to allocate some additional personnel for the operation from the sixth fleet, and is allocating additional specialists from the agency. Look at the orders yourself"

Callen grabbed the printed orders and read over them, shaking his head trying to make some sense of what he was being reading.

"You stay here. Thanks to this little shit storm, any good will I've built up is gonna fly right out the window. I need to try to smooth this over the skipper.

Callen walked out the door and set of to the bridge.

'How can this happen, Why is it happening. Does the Director even know my situation. I'm all for the greater good, but how is going to help anyone… it's gonna end up putting innocent people in the line of fire'

He was trying to think of how he could explain this to the Captain, to keep things decent.

Finding the captain on a call he stood back until he had finished his call.

Watching him though, he suspected he was being told the details of the revised orders. He certainly didn't look like he was being told anything he wanted to hear. At least it wasn't a case of Callen knowing and not being willing or able to tell him. But it still wasn't sitting right with him.

Watching the captain put the phone down, he indicated that Callen could approach.

"Sir, I've just finished being briefed by the other NCIS agent. I am willing to tell you whatever you need to know, that's not sensitive. I also want to let you know I was blindsided by the situation."

"So I gather from my conversation with Vice Admiral Davidson. You've been as in the dark about these goings on as I have been"

"As I said, I was just briefed. I don't agree with parts of the decisions that have been made. But I know I have a responsibility to protect American Navy and Marine personnel, so I'm not going to argue with my superiors.

Within the next 3 hours I will be transferred by helo to the USS Peleliu, where I'm informed I will have a detachment of 6x Marines assigned to assist in the extraction of an NCIS Asset coming from Yemen. While I'm off ship, the Agent that arrived a short time ago will take my place. Extraction should take 8 hours out and back. Additional NCIS staff will be arriving on board while I'm on the extraction. Once I return here, myself, the other agents, and the 6x marines have been ordered to depart for Afghanistan, by way of Tel Aviv.

I'm uncertain how long the operation in Afghanistan will last. The hope is to get in and out within a few days, after that we'll be recovered to a ship in the Gulf of Oman that is heading back to Rota. After that I'm to return to my post here"

Callen handed over his orders.

"I have nothing to hide sir" Callen steps back and stands at ease while the captain read over the orders.

"Very good Agent Callen. See to whatever you have to do before depart, I'll arrange for some bunks for your colleagues. If you need anything else, just ask. Good Hunting"

…..

"Once I depart, verify everything in the orders… I don't want any cock ups"

He lifted his bed to get access to some of his gear that was stowed in the compartment.

He pulled out the cap and bullet proof vest he hadn't expected to need much.

"I need to go grab some ammo and a couple of spare magazines. You want to come with, so you know how to find the mess hall, and anything else you may need?"

"That would be great. Before we go, why did you pin up that picture?"

Callen smirked "They're family, Besides…" Point at a person in the picture "… she's probably my best friend these days"

"That's nice of you to say. I missed you too" she threw her arms around Callen.

"When I get back, we're gonna have a talk about how much I owe you for maintaining my house Nell"

…..

"Deeks look, I know that not knowing where Kensi is, is doing your head in… but you're doing my head in. 20 Hours straight with you going on and on isn't helping. You know I'm worried about her too, and we're going to find her. Now grab your kit and lets get briefed by the Agent afloat, and we can go find her"

"Right, I'll try to hold it together. But why were we flown out here, rather than getting a military flight direct to Afghanistan?"

"No idea Deeks. But feel free to call and ask Hetty"

Approaching a crew member..

"Excuse me Petty Officer, I'm Special Agent Hanna with NCIS. Can you direct me to the Agent Afloat?"

"The Agent afloat is just down the hallway sir, she is speaking with the Chief of the Deck. I'll go get her" and she disappeared round the corner.

"So a female Agent Afloat. Should I be expecting a big muscular woman then?" Deeks smirked

"You know I'm gonna tell Kensi you said that, and I'm watch as she smacks you about. You should know better than to judge a book by its cover"

"Gentlemen" the familiar voice from behind them. "Welcome aboard the Seahawk"

Turning to face her, "What are you doing here Nell. Where's the agent afloat?" Sam said

"I am the Agent Afloat… well acting Agent Afloat anyway"

"What agent are you covering for?"

"Sam, I can't tell you. Orders. But he is expected back aboard in a few hours. He made arrangements with the captain for a private berthing compartment for everyone going onto Afghanistan. Do you want an up to date briefing, or do you want to stash your gear?"

"Briefing please, Any word on Kensi" Deeks tried to sound hopeful, even though he didn't feel it.

Sam and Deeks followed her down the corridors to the NCIS cabin.

"It's ok Marty, Granger has managed to rule out a few areas around where they found her Sat phone. It cuts the search area by several square kilometres, and the search is still ongoing"

Reaching the NCIS cabin Nell paused and turned to Sam and Deeks

"Before we go in. The Agent Afloat doesn't know you're the agents being sent in with him"

"Can we just go in Nell. Besides who have we worked with that could be being sent with us huh?"

Opening the door, Nell let her colleagues enter first. She had made no attempt to hide away Callen's few belongings.

"Hey Sam, look… Whoever it is knows us pretty well, if he has a group picture of us all. Hang on a second..."

"Deeks, it could be anyone. There are only a handful of agents that we have worked with that know us well enough to have been given a picture of us."

"Marty, Sam… he should be back in 5 or 6 hours. So concentrate"

…..

"She didn't tell me you were going to be the one extracting me, Callen"

"Who, Hetty?"

"No, Nell…How's your recovery going by the way"

"Look Nate ... Getz?, I Don't know you. I was ordered to extract you, so I have done"

"Look, Callen. We used to work together, I worked with you at OSP"

"Look, Can you be quiet. I know these are professional Marines, but you shouldn't be mentioning OSP to anyone outside the chain of command. Wait a minute, how do you know Nell?"

"We go way back. So why are you out here and not back in LA?"

"Look, I'm here because I can do this job in my sleep. I can't work with someone if I can't anticipate their reactions. But I can still work for the agency. This was the easiest way to deal with issues until… until my memories come back. IF they come back" Callen turns and looks out of the window at his side

"That's quite interesting. You lose your memories but you are still trying to be selfless to protect your partner. What did Sam have to say about you being reassigned?"

Turning back to face Nate

"I didn't tell him. I've never spoken to him or met him. The ones I know… I know what everyone looks like, I know their names. But I don't really know them.

I know things about Hetty, and I have remembered some things about Nell.. but that's it. The rest of them are complete strangers"

"So start with Hetty and Nell, we still have several hours in the air, so why not try to talk things out, see if it helps"

…..

#11

"You know this food isn't bad. I would maybe even consider leaving the LAPD to be a sailor if this is the standard of food I'd get"

"Deeks, I almost miss you going on about Kensi. If you just talk about normal stuff, I promise I won't tell her you've been driving her car" Sam smirked, seeing that it was putting the fear of god into Deeks

Nell sat across the table from them, quietly laughing.

"Nell, you sure you don't wanna get something to eat?"

"I'm ok Sam, I had something shortly after I arrived onboard. No need to worry about me" she smiled, letting him know she really was ok.

"How did you get roped into this little operation?. I know Hetty trusts you, but there has to be more to it"

"I've been monitoring reports from 2x of Hetty's Assets for the last few weeks. One had to be extracted and then inserted elsewhere. The timescale between assignments was going to be very tight. So I was sent to debrief the asset, once he is arrives here, and to cover for the Agent Afloat. After that I'm going with you guys to find Kensi"

Deeks and Sam turn to face one another, almost trying to see if the other had heard the same thing, and then turned back to face Nell

"No no no no. No… Not happening. I know you are capable of working in the field. I've worked with you for the last couple of months, so don't think I doubt your ability ok. But Afghanistan isn't like working in LA, Where we are going is way too dangerous"

"I appreciate the concern Shaggy, but I am going. Neither of you have to work with me. Now if you're finished eating, I'll take you to your bunks"

Nell stood up and started walking out of the mess hall towards the berthing compartment, knowing the 2 men would follow her.

…..

"… I'm sure it is confusing for you. But it's completely understandable"

"Thanks Doc. But can get you inside and debriefed, so I can get on with my job"

Stepping off the Helicopter with Nate following him, he turned to Nate

"If I find out you have told anything we've spoken about to Nell, I will hunt you down, and make you pay." Callen continued walking into the shelter of the carrier.

He asked the Chief of the Deck to guide the 6x marines to the berthing compartment so they could rest before they had to leave the Seahawk

Reaching his cabin he realized that Nell may have been sleeping, so he knocked on the door to see if she would respond. After the second knock he heard a voice telling him to enter

Entering the room he started to speak

"Enjoying your power trip. God, I hope I've not missed you reading the riot act to any sailors" he couldn't hold the laughter in

"Well, I had to do something while you were away playing." Her mouth curved into a big smile. "The other agents have arrived. I think you need to talk to them before we depart, I know it won't be easy. But they deserve to know"

"I know. The Asset is in the corridor, whenever you're ready I'll take you both to the Brig so you can do your debrief. I know you need time, but you only have 90 minutes. After that need to start getting ready to depart, OK"

"Ok…and Callen, I'm glad you're ok"

Nell grabbed her tablet, and followed Callen and Nate to the Brig

…..

Reaching the compartment he knocked on the door as loudly as he could, before he entered.

Walking into the compartment he found the gear belonging to the 6x marines tossed in the bunks. He couldn't blame them for wanting a meal and a shower before shipping out again.

Continuing further into the room, he found 2 of the bunks with their curtains closed, Opening one, and then the other he chapped on the edge of the bunks. He stepped back leaned against one of the other bunks

"Wakey Wakey. Come on, we have work to do

The two men rolled out of their bunks, and got on their feet. Turning to the man who had woken them, both were shocked to see who it was

"What the hell is wrong with you G!, Why are you way out here, and why has Hetty been telling us you quit"

"Nice to see you too. I know who you are ok. But I Don't know you, either of you. I couldn't sit back at home in the hope that I'll get my memories back. I can do this, at least until I see if things are going to go back to normal. Come on then, I need something to eat, and you two obviously have more questions"

…..

"So come on, what do you want to know?" Callen said as he sat down at the table with his meal.

"When did you stop drinking tea and coffee?"

"shortly after I got out of the hospital. I guess I realized it wasn't all that healthy. Been on water or fruit juice ever since. So tell me this, why is a LAPD detective going into Afghanistan. There isn't anything for you to liaise about?" He took a sip of his juice, and a bite of mashed potato.

"Never mind that G. Why were we told you had quit NCIS" Sam wasn't even trying to mask the displeasure in his voice

"Orders. I couldn't work as part of a team with people I didn't know, this was the best option, to keep me busy until I get my memories back. Hetty and I came to an understanding, only 4x people knew the truth. Hetty, the Director, Nell and myself. This made the most sense, I could work and not have to run into people who had worked with me before" Callen said in between bites of his meal.

"So if you don't remember us, Why are you coming with us to look for Kensi?" Deeks asked

"I was given orders…. That, and Nell told me that Kensi is like my little sister, that makes her family. Just because I don't remember her, doesn't mean I want her to be abandoned in Afghanistan"

"Same old G" for the first time since they sat down Sam smiled

…..

Callen was heading back to the NCIS cabin to get changed after having a shower.

Last thing he wanted was to head out to Afghanistan in dirty clothes or being unwashed.

Going through his clothes he grabbed a few changes of clothes and put them in his otherwise empty bag, along with his cap and bullet proof vest. Then get grabbed a clean change of clothes for now.

He pulled off his clean exercise clothes that he had used to walk back from his shower.

Just as he had removed his trousers, the door opened and in walked Nell,

"Oh. Sorry, I'm Sorry Callen I didn't know you would be in here" She had closed the door behind her and turned away from him. She had started blushing after seeing him almost naked

"Nate is being moved into an empty bunk overnight until he is inserted to start his next assignment. I just need to upload the Intel he acquired back to OSP, and then I'm ready to leave" She had been talking a little faster , seemingly due to embarrassment.

"It's ok Nell. You can turn back around, I'm covered up" He found the situation quite amusing, but also a little awkward. You can use my computer. It's already logged into the NCIS servers

"Ok. So did everything go ok with Sam and Deeks?" she turned round and moved to sit down, and upload the Intel. She was glad that he was covered up, but couldn't help but think about how he had looked in just his boxers.

"I don't know Nell. They seem to have accepted that I have been here, and that I don't know them. It just seems like they are pissed off that they were lied to. I guess that's understandable"

…..

"Ensign, is the Skipper or XO about?"

"The XO was headed down to the Hanger deck, and I think the captain was going to the mess hall"

"Thanks"

Callen was looking to update the captain on the situation, before he departed. It was only really a courtesy, but he believed it the best way to maintain good relations between the Seahawk's crew and himself.

Finding the Captain in the mess hall, he sat down and updated the captain about when the 'asset' was to be leaving the ship, and informing him of the timescale for the operation to Afghanistan. And Just as a symbolic gesture he requested the captain's permission to depart

…..

"Are we all ready to go."

"Yes Sir"

"Sam, Deeks, Nell… we good to go?"

"You know it." Responded Deeks

"What Deeks said" replied Sam

"Ready when you are" Nell sounded really confident when she responded

"OK, let's go. The C2 is on the deck. Lets move out and get this job done"

All 10 of them departed the compartment headed to the flight deck with their gear.

They were aboard the plane and were ready to depart. The launch or take off on a flight was one thing Callen enjoyed. The force at launch that pushes you back in your seat was quite an adrenalin rush.

The marines were sat to the rear of the aircraft, most of them looking to grab some shut-eye during the flight. Sam looked to be doing the same, while Deeks sat looking at something on his phone.

Nell was looking at Intel on her tablet, looked like maps.

Callen leaned over towards her, quietly asking

"Nell, is that to do with the mission?"

"Yeah, I was just checking to see how much of the area has already been searched. Looks like 40% of the area has been searched or discounted. I guess I'm a bit worried about Kensi"

"There's nothing wrong with that. Being worried about a friend is perfectly natural. But I'm sure she is ok She's tough"

"Can I ask, how do you deal with not knowing who we are, or not knowing what happened to some people?"

"Fairly simple. If I don't remember someone, how can I miss them. It's maybe not the best way to deal with things. But I don't know how, or if I could cope if I actively focused on people I should know. Little thing, flashes, come back to me… but the big things I want to know, still elude me. How are you dealing with what's going on?"

"I don't know. I have been focusing on getting the Intel, it was a distraction, to save me worrying about Kensi. But I've not got a distraction just now"

"Let me see your tablet a minute" Nell hands him the tablet "It looks like there are only 2 settlements in the immediate area, There would most likely be a number of caves and tunnels. I would say to locate them, and then search them once we are on the ground" He puts the tablet to sleep, and places it on the seat next to him. "and I'm going to give you a distraction… I remember some stuff about you, Hetty and Lara"

Nell turns to face him, with a look of curiosity on her face.

"I remember when Hetty told me that Lara had been murdered, and I remember the last time I saw her, in our previous OPS centre. I'm pretty sure Hetty is holding a grudge against me for having shot her car, even if I know Sam was there too"

"That's great Callen" smiling up at him "well not so great that you remember someone being murdered, but that you are remembering bits of your past. So what is it you remembered about me, if you don't mind me asking"

"You are… unique. Hetty liked you when she didn't like analysts. You can spook people with a simple look, and you are selfless. You threw a party for Hetty and tried to give the credit to everyone else, You were willing to risk being shot to try disarming a nut job, and most importantly.. you have been maintaining my home, when you have nothing to gain. Bet you thought I forgot about that one huh" he smiled at her

"How do you know I wasn't just doing it so I have somewhere smart to go when I'm passed out drunk. The bed wasn't for you" she smiled back, trying not to chuckle

"Yeah yeah. Come on, try and get some sleep. Still got a while before we land, and board another plane" he lifted his right arm and wrapped it round her shoulder, pulling her towards him until her head was leaning over resting on his shoulder

Deeks saw some movement out of the corner of his eye, turning slightly to see Nell almost cuddled up with Callen. He turned and nudged Sam to wake him.

"Sam… Hey Sam."

"Deeks go to sleep" Sam said, without opening his eyes

"Seriously Sam. Look at Callen and little Nell. I'm not kidding"

Sam open his eyes, then rubbed them and turned his head to look towards his previous partner.

"What the.." Sam stopped himself from saying anything else

"I guess they must have got pretty close huh" Deeks smirked at Sam

"He's probably just trying to help her sleep or something. I know he doesn't seem the same, but that doesn't mean he would do something with Nell" Sam was really surprised and more than a little confused about what he was seeing, and what Callen had said.. 'Given up tea and Coffee, voluntarily exercising every day. It's like he isn't the same man anymore' Sam thought

…..

#12

"Wake up Nell. Come on wake up. We have to get off the plane now" Callen gently shook her, to wake her.

With her not being awake enough to get off the plane herself he unclipped her safety belt, grabbed their bags and lifted her into his arms. Being the last passengers on the plane, meant it was easy to get off without bumping into anyone

"Sam, look…I told you, they must have got hell of a close"

"Shut up Deeks. G wouldn't cross that line. She looks half asleep anyway, he must have just carried her off until she wakes up a bit" Sam was starting to wonder how much of the 'old' Callen' that they all knew, still existed.

"We've got a bit of a wait until our C130 is ready for us, It's enough time to stretch our legs, use the toilet. But don't anyone go too far" Having finished talking and noting the marines departing for the toilet, He lowered Nell down to the ground inside the hanger, propping her head up with his bag. Having done that he went to stretch his own legs.

"G, Hold up a second, we want to ask something" His ex partner called as he and Deeks followed after him

"What happened to you. We were told that you were attacked, and got hit pretty hard. Other than that we know nothing"

"Fine, you want to know Deeks. I'll tell you. I'm told I was helping Nell with helping her fit her TV, some guy tried to mug us, or her… I got in the way and took a hit to the head. First thing I remember is being in the hospital being checked over. I was released, only because I had someone to keep an eye on me.

Spoke to Hetty a day after being released, and was able to go to sleep on the floor at my place. Got approval to return to work, and I agreed with Hetty to be assigned to the Seahawk. That's pretty much it"

"So how come Nell knew what happened to you G."

"Look, Sam, she was there when I was released, she took me home, I helped her sleep, and then she was with me when I went to Coronado to ship out. Nothing weird"

Sam and Deeks looked at one another

"Now if you don't mind I'd like to hit the head" and off Callen walked.

"Sam, did I hear him right. Did he say he helped her sleep? Does that mean he slept with her. Or is my mind just being really dirty"

"It normally is Deeks. But I told you G wouldn't do that"

"I'm serious Sam. Maybe he wouldn't do that, if he was still the guy he used to be. But he isn't the same. Do you really think we can trust him to have our back while we're trying to find Kens?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Hetty obviously still trusts him, since she sent him to complete an extraction, and sent him with us. By the sounds of it, the only person that we can actually ask is Nell" Sam turned and headed back into the hanger, to waken Nell. Deeks following behind him.

"Nell, Can you wake up. We need to ask something about this op"

Sam and Deeks crouched down besides her as she started to wake up, and stretch her arms

"What do you need to know. I've not had any updates since before we left the Seahawk"

"We just need to know if G is fit to be on this sort of op. Something is bothering us about how he's been acting"

"How's he been acting exactly?"

Nell was looking (and feeling) a bit confused as to what about his behaviour could be bothering the pair.

"Well for a start, he isn't drinking Tea or Coffee, and he's acting differently with you…"

"Yeah its kinda like he's a love-sick teenager" Deeks finished for Sam

"That's ridiculous. He stopped drinking coffee over a month ago. Only time I've even seen him around Tea or Coffee was when we went shopping the morning after he picked me up and took me home to sleep at his place when I was blackout drunk"

Sam and Deeks were looking at her, digesting what she had just said with a look of shock on their face, Neither one knowing how to respond to her.

…..

Nell sat on the C130, thinking everything over. Everything since the attempted mugging, Everything since he lost his memory. The differences in him… how he spoke, how he acted and how he reacted. She was distracted as she heard Callen start to address everyone

"I know we are all want to get some sleep before we touch down, and once I finish speaking you're more than welcome to grab some shut-eye.

We are going into a hostile area, to attempt to locate and rescue NCIS Special Agent Kensi Blye. I know we all have our orders. But I'm not going to make you go in there without giving you a choice. You don't have to go in there, We have to go in, you can opt out right now, with no mention of it in your service history. I need your answer now though. Are you with me?"

"We're with you Sir" one marine responded

"Ok then. We have 2 hours before we touch down in Khowst. Grab some shut-eye while you can. Once we step off this plane, we don't leave till the job is done"

He returned to his seat, hoping that the outcome would be positive instead of negative

…..

They had been in the Khowst region for almost 2 days, with next to no luck. By pure luck they had stumped upon a number or linked caves that had been in use recently for accommodation. They had found a laptop full of numerous images of prisoners that appeared to have been killed, including an image of Kensi Blye.

Neither Deeks, Nell or Sam believed that it was genuine. Callen couldn't tell if this was them not believing what they saw, or if they didn't accept what was in front of them.

After retreating outside to report in to OPS, they were advised by Eric about a sizable group of people on the move towards the Pakistan Border.

The group advanced towards the group of suspected Taliban, moving as quickly as they could to catch up to them.

They eventually caught up, and had managed to spread out so that they had numerous vantages. Once they had been spotted there was no option but to fire at the armed leaders of the group. It was quite a task trying to take out almost 20 armed Taliban extremists, when all they had were 12 men altogether. They started advancing down the slopes to surround the group. They managed to subdue most of the armed men without killing them. Thinking that it was safe to secure the Taliban prisoners, they let their guard down and checked the prisoners to see if they could locate Kensi.

Deeks was the one to remove the bag from the prisoner that turned out to be Kensi. Apart from some dried blood, bruises and looking like she hadn't been fed in almost a week, she was otherwise unharmed… physically at least.

Callen had circled the group evaluating the situation, letting Sam and Deeks check on Kensi. Nell would go over as soon as Sam returned to guarding the actual prisoners until the Helicopter arrived to return them back to the base.

Someone had failed to properly secure one of the Taliban, and without any warning he had managed to get his hands loose of the bindings and raised his AK47 rifle pointing at the person nearest to him. This turned out to be Nell, who had her back turned to him. By pure luck, Callen had seen the prisoner raising the gun in his hands.

He jumped and launched himself between the Shooter and Nell, as the prisoner fired 3 shots. In the blink of an eye he fired off 2 rounds into the mans chest, while simultaneously suffering the now deceased Taliban soldiers round, hitting him twice in his left shoulder, and once in his upper arm.

Hitting the ground, he could feel his shoulder area get wet as blood escaped from his body. He looked up at the clear sky feeling the agony in his shoulder. He wondered just how he could be so unlucky to be shot half an inch away from where his Bullet proof vest stopped protecting him.

He couldn't hear anything anyone was saying, although he could see them looking down at him, and their mouths moving as they no doubt were trying to communicate with him.

Then everything went dark

…..

#13

When he awoke, he found himself in a dim room, wearing a hospital gown… the only light was coming from a lamp placed on the table next to the bed he was in. His arm was aching, and was in a sling. He managed to pull the drip our from his good arm, and swung his legs round so he could get up, he was a little unsteady, but managed to remain upright after steadying himself.

Walking towards the door at the far end of the room, he wondered what had happened after everything went black for him. Obviously he was in a hospital, so he must have been recovered to nearest American base by the helicopter that was being sent to extract them. But unlike the last time he woke up in a hospital, there had no one there to tell him where he was, how long he had been there and if there was anyone waiting to see him. Managing to stagger out the room and down the hall to seek out a doctor or nurse he was wondering if the rest of the team he had been with, had made it out unharmed. Eventually running into a Nurse exiting a room, he asked to speak to a doctor… The nurse tried to instruct him to return to his room, but he outright refused and continued staggering down the hall trying to find a friendly face.

"…I appreciate that Hetty. But he was shot. He needs to come back with us to the states"

"…."

"Hetty, there no way that he is of sound mind. Did he even get a psych eval before you let him ship out to a carrier?"

"…."

"Yeah, He came out of surgery a while ago. They say it's not major damage, but he may need some rehab to rebuild muscle mass"

"…."

"Deeks is with her just now. Mainly just battered and bruised, but other than that she just needs a good meal and some rest. She'll be free to leave with us in the morning"

"…."

"Yes Hetty, I will make sure he calls you when he wakes up"

"Doc, Just tell me where my stuff is, and if anyone came in with me?"

"Agent Callen. You should be resting. Anything else can really wait"

Callen was getting really frustrated by the point "Just tell me what I want to know"

"Your clothes had to be cut off of you. Your weapons, vest, and badge etc were handed over to one of the agents you came in with"

"Can you please try to contact someone, so I can get caught up with what I've missed"

"Fine. I will have someone contact your next of kin, But please go back to your room to wait" with Callen giving the doctor his assurance that he would go back to his room and 'behave' he watched the doctor walk down the corridor, away from him.

…..

Light streaming in through the window woke Callen up, he had gone back to his room to wait, but had obviously fallen asleep.

Looking about he saw someone huddled over the edge of his bed, and was holding his hand. He tapped on the other persons hand using his thumb to try to gently wake them.

Having looked a bit closer at his guest, he was almost certain who it was… Nell was the only woman that he knew well in this area (and with hair that colour). He kept tapping on the back of her hand, watching her gently waken up.

"Hey. What are you doing here"

"Some idiot I was working with got shot. Figured he may want to see a friendly face when he woke up" she smiled at him, as she sat upright to face him

"Nell, How long have I been in here"

"About 11 hours. You were bleeding heavily, if the helicopter hadn't arrived when it did… you may not…" She gasped, trying to take a breath before continuing "… You had lost a lot of blood by the time we got you here, But they took you into surgery and must have given you a transfusion. You realize, this is the second time you've put yourself between me and a gun. I appreciate it, but when you're up out of that bed I'm going to give you one hell of a smack"

"Well that time is going to be soon. I'm getting out of here today. I need you to grab me a change of clothes from my bag, and get my Sig, phones, badge etc for me. I have a job to do"

"Callen, you can't leave here in the state you're in"

"Nell, I'm fine. Please, just get what I asked for, so I can get out of here. Please"

Nell stood up and walked towards the exit, realizing that there would be no talking him out of it

"Before you go. Is Kensi… Is she ok?"

"She is … a bit bruised and emotional etc. But She's alive. That's what matters"

"Thanks" he nodded to her as he thanked her

…..

He had managed to just about get himself dressed (with a little help from Nell), and was already heading to the hospital exit with Nell trying to keep up as she followed him. He stopped outside the room that he had been told Kensi was in, The door was open just enough that he could see in without being seen. But seeing Sam and Kensi asleep in chairs by her bed confirmed that she was ok, even if it may take some time to undo the damage done to her psychologically.

They managed to slip past a pair of doctors and got outside, His first goal was to call and arrange a flight back out to the Seahawk. He may not have known about how things worked at OSP, but he knew that if he waited too long, someone would want to an assessment of his physical and psychological state, Probably the arsehole who he found out was the agencies assistant director.

Managing to pull out his Sat phone and dial Hetty, he lifted the phone to his ear

"Hetty it's Callen. I've been released from the hospital and want to make a move back to the Seahawk"

"Mr Callen, I've not been advised you were being released. Care to revise your story?"

"I can stand, I can run and I can aim and fire my weapon. As far as I'm concerned I'm fit for duty"

He heard Hetty sigh "I'm afraid it's not that simple, as well you know"

"Hetty, I had a psychological evaluation a few days ago. The doctor says that I'm in a good place" a slight exaggeration he thought, but he wasn't going to give someone the hammer to nail him to the cross with.

"You mean Mr Getz. Very well. I'll have arrangements made to have you returned to the Seahawk. Now, put Ms Jones on the phone"

"How did you…" deciding not to finish his question, he extended his arm out offering the phone to Nell

"Hetty?"

"…."

"Yes, he is walking. Seems able to manage. He doesn't seem any different personality wise"

"…."

"As you wish. I'll do my best" Nell hung up the phone and put it in her bag instead of returning it to him

"So what does she say"

"She says you can return to the carrier, but next time you're in port you'll be getting an evaluation"

"So when is there a flight for me?"

"She says she will make arrangements and call back. For now we've to wait at one of the Army Barracks"

Happy with things working out his way he followed after Nell.

…..

"Deeks, you seen Nell since last night. I can't find her anywhere, and I don't think she has a working phone"

"Last time I saw her was when I was coming back after a toilet break. She was talking to one of the doctors I think"

"I'm gonna go check on G. I'll not be long"

Returning to the Kensi's room not long after leaving it, he grabbed Deeks by the arm and pulled him outside.

"He's gone. Nurse says he was there about 0400, after that he disappeared, he wasn't released. Also said a young woman went to his room late on last night. Now which young woman here would know Him, and that he was here… the same young woman we can't find"

"Don't be Crazy. Nell wouldn't let him leave. Look if you're that concerned, ask Granger, he would have to have been made aware if he was being transferred out of here"

"Deeks. How long have I been out of it?"

"Hey" he dragged the word out, not knowing how to treat her… treat her the same as he normal, or treat her with kid gloves. "How you feeling, you must have really needed that sleep"

"Where's Callen and Sam"

"Sam's just having words with Granger"

"… and Callen. Where is he, he ok?"

"They operated on him, and he was out of the woods"

"Deeks!, Why are you avoiding parts of my questions"

"I'm not, I Swear"

"I'm only going to ask you one more time Deeks, Where is he, why's he not here"

"Look, Kens… truth is, we don't know where he is. He was here, now he isn't, and we can't find Nell either"

"Why would he leave when he'd been shot, it makes no sense, not even for him"

"I didn't want to be the one to have to tell you. But he isn't the same as he was. Turns out he lost some memories after he was mugged, or attacked a couple of months ago"

"So what's he forgotten?"

Deeks tried to prepare himself for her reaction once he told her, he knew it wouldn't be good… she was really close to Sam and Callen, and to lose one of them would likely upset her

"According to him, he doesn't remember anything after September in 2000"

Kensi stared back him, eyes going wide, and twitching slightly as if she was thinking everything over.

She sat back and kept quiet for a few seconds, thinking of what to say to her partner (were they still just partners, or were they more, or less. It was giving her a headache trying to work it out)

"When can I go home"

"They said you can leave later today"

"So, how's Monty doing?"

…..

"Are you sure you have everything you need"

"Nell, I'm sure I have everything. Once I get back to the Seahawk, I'll have a doctor check me out, ok. I'll even email what he says. I don't want keep the pilot waiting, Have a safe trip home ok" Putting down his bag he reached his good hand over and patted one of her shoulders, before he could pick his bag back up, Nell had leaned in and hugged him. Letting him go he grabbed his bag and turned and walked towards the plane

"Callen" she called from behind him, he didn't turn his body but he did turn his head so he could see her out of the corning of her eye "You need anything, and I do mean anything… you can email or call me ok. I left my details on a note in your cabin"

With that Callen climbed up the ramp into the aircraft, along with the 6x marines, managing to get himself and his bag secured before the ramp was closed for the plane to take off.

…..

"Welcome back Agent Callen. Are you sure you're fit to return to your post here. Looks like you took a bit of a beating"

"I assure you Sir. I am most certainly fit, but I do intend getting the doctor to check the wound."

"Very well. I know you're only just back, but I would appreciate if you can update the XO or I about any newly reported terrorist threats in the region. By 2200 if possible"

"Aye sir"

Walking off the bridge and back to his cabin, Callen started thinking about what he had lost. Not just the Use of one of his arms for a while, But the 'Family' Nell told him he had. The picture he had on his pinboard, was his family. He knew who they each were, but he still didn't know them. Seeing Sam and Deeks sat at Kensi's bedside, cemented the fact that he had to do something to actively try to regain his memories, not just wait and hope they came back.

Getting back to his cabin, he dropped his bag on the bed and sat down at his desk to start going over the new terror threats.

Three updates from HQ and no personal emails.

He read over each notice and noted down the items relevant to the region the Seahawk was operating in. The concern was centred around knowing the threats that may be faced. Especially for large ships like Aircraft carriers and Destroyers, that for any number of reasons could be operating close enough to shore to present an opportunity for a terrorist group or even an individual, to launch an RPG at a ship or attempt to pilot a small craft armed with explosives towards a ship. More than that, it was to protect sailors (and the ships) while in any port.

After a couple of hours he had finished reviewing, and breaking down the threats by regions. He had the specific threats for the region and decided to report them to the bridge now, so he could drop by the med bay and get the stitches and dressing checked.

It was while he was on his way to the bridge that something occurred to him.

When he worked for the CIA, they had done assessments on threats, the same as NCIS do, being able to access a suspects arrest record, helped them to look for connections between known threats or terrorists.

He knew that Internal Affairs departments could access your service history for similar reasons. So maybe he could access his own service history at NCIS, maybe even those of his 'family' to drop enough bread crumbs to help lead his brain in the right direction towards his lost memories.

…..

"You looking forward to getting home Kens?"

"I really am. Getting back to my own bed, Dad's rifle, my car and work. This whole thing is just messed up and so far from normal"

"You know if you need to talk, my ear's always open"

"Thanks Nell, but for just now… I don't want to talk or think about being back there. Tell me what's been going on with you while I've been away"

"Pretty much the same as normal, just work and home…well apart from going out and not drinking in moderation. I had to call… I had to call someone to pick me up"

"Someone, like Eric… or Someone like Hot?"

"Someone that's not Eric, very kind and considerate. He took care of me, a lot more than he had to"

Sam turned to the pair

"Nell, how about you tell her how you were working with G, while the rest of us thought he had quit. Tell her how you got him out of the hospital and off to god knows where"

"Sam I swear. I only knew he hadn't quit because I was ordered to review his update for Hetty. And I didn't get him off to anywhere. I swear" Sam turned away from her, not believing she was being totally honest

"So this all happened because he was injured while protecting you?"

"Yeah Kens… it just, everything happened so quickly. He stood between me and that guys gun, he could have been shot protecting me, I could have been easily replaced… Callen, and the rest of you are not replaceable. I've not slept that well since it all happened, I keep going over everything, trying to work it all out" a solitary tear ran down her face from her eye

"Nell, I've known Callen for a long time. He would protect any one of us, even at the expense of his own life. None of us like to hear it, but we know its true… it's who he is.

So, tell me about this man"

They continued speaking for a few hours on and off, as the flight was returning them to LA, with Nell being very vague about the new man in her life.

…..

#13

Nell and the team had been back in LA for a few days now. The debrief was pretty simple and they were all set free after a couple of hours. Deeks had taken Kensi back to her place, while Sam had gone home to spend time with his family. Nell on the other hand had stayed at the Mission going over reports from different assets or teams worldwide.

Hetty found her still in OPS 2 hours later, not actually doing anything… just staring at the incident report that Granger had filed about the shooting between Callen and the Taliban man. Nell hadn't even heard Hetty enter Ops and cross the room until she was standing directly behind Nell.

"Ms Jones, I think you would be best to go home and rest. Like everyone else you are entitled to some R&amp;R. You all have the next 3x days off, make best use of the time. Do not lose yourself in your feelings of responsibility for Mr Callen's Injury"

"It's just that this is the second time that… that he has been injured because of me. I shouldn't have gone into the field with them, I should have waited it out here"

"Had you not of been there it could have played out much worse. Go home my Dear. And we'll speak again if you still feel the same way"

Just as quickly and quietly as Hetty had appeared in the room, she had disappeared from the room.

Nell was laying in bed, trying to sleep… and failing. She had tried following the shadow patterns projected on the ceiling from the lights outside on the street, tried counting sheep… eventually deciding to take a drive just to try to tire herself out a little more.

She started driving in circles around a couple of blocks for almost an hour, but it didn't help.

Realizing it had been over a week since she had checked on Callen's house, she decided to go check it, the longer drive would surely help. She knew it had been in a good condition before she had left for the Seahawk, but things can change quickly.

Externally the house was still as she had left it, with the repainted door still looking very smart, and all the windows still being as they had been.

The back yard was equally tidy, the grass had grown a little, but not enough to demand that it had to be mowed straight away.

Inside was also just as she had left it. She didn't actually expect it to be different, but coming and checking it was just a distraction if she was being honest.

She was starting to feel like she needed to talk to someone about what had happened this week. But it was too late to call anyone, even if it wasn't she didn't want to talk about it with Kensi incase she caused unpleasant memories to resurface, she couldn't talk to Rose or her sister about it because she couldn't be honest with them about what had happened, and she felt that could no longer talk to Sam or Deeks as they were unhappy with her for knowing what had been going on with Callen and not telling them.

Out of the blue she started feeling a bit groggy, She didn't feel she was safe to drive so she started thinking about what she could do… she knew Callen had coffee in the house, having a mug of coffee would waken her up, but would also make it even harder to get to sleep by the time she went home. She could call a taxi to take her home and come back in the morning for her car. Before she could continue thinking out her options she could feel her phone start to vibrate (then ring) in her pocket, pulling it out to answer it she couldn't recognize the number.

"Hello" she answered

"Nell, it's Callen. I hope I didn't wake you, I didn't realize the time there"

"Nope, sleep wasn't disturbed. How's your shoulder?"

"It's still sore, and quite stiff. But I can move it more than I could in the hospital. So how come you're still up then"

"I've just been checking over some stuff, till I feel tired enough for some sleep"

"Tell me that you're not still at work. Just how much of a slave driver if Hetty"

Nell laughed a little at the comment, and the mental image her mind created

"I was just up, and no, I'm not at work. What can I do for you?"

"I need to ask something, feel free to decline, but I was hoping you could get me a copy of my service history. I tried getting it off the NCIS mainframe, but apparently I don't have a high enough clearance."

"You wouldn't. There are only a handful of people in the agency able to access an OPS Agents service history. What do you need your file for?"

"Honestly. I… I realized what I've lost, you told me I had family… and I got to work with them, but I don't think I'm going to regain my memories just sitting here dealing with crimes on board and terrorist threats to the ship and/or crew. Everything else I've remembered was because you, Hetty or that doctor dropped breadcrumbs for my mind to follow till I could remember something. If I sit here waiting for my mind to do it on its own, I could be sitting like this for the rest of my life"

"I could ask Hetty for you if you like. I Don't know that she would say yes, but I could try."

"That would be great Nell. I owe you one. "So how are you doing. I mean being home after being over here"

"I'm, ok. First time I've been in a war zone, unless you count some of the worse neighbourhoods in LA" She laughed a little, trying to convey that she was trying to joke about the neighbourhoods in LA

"Tell me truth. How are you really"

"I'm exhausted, and having trouble sleeping… again. Tried counting sheep and all those sort of things. So I took a drive just round a couple of blocks and that didn't help, so I've ended up at your house to check that its ok after having been away for a while. And now I'm not feeling safe to drive and I either need to make a cup of coffee or get a taxi. And Sam and Deeks are unhappy with me because I knew where you were, and that you hadn't quit and didn't tell them. So, all in all, I'm great"

"Is it just the jet lag and time difference that's affecting your sleep or is it something else?"

"I don't know. I know Hetty says I may need to have a talk with her if I'm still feeling guilty about what happened over there. … You getting shot because of me, it's really not helping. Kensi said that you would protect any of us, even if it cost you your life. And that just scares me. You could have died, yet again, protecting me… you could have lost the use of your arm or it could have been a lot worse…"

Callen interrupted before she could finish her sentence

"Nell, Listen to me OK. You are not to blame for any of this, when you work as part of a team you have each others back. If that mean you take a bullet, so be it… that's part of this sort of job you get…"

Callen stopped mid sentence, getting lost in a memory

"Callen? Callen.. are you OK" Nell was getting a bit panicked

"Its ok Nell… I just remembered something. Can you do something for me?"

"Whatever you need, within reason"

"Go to sleep. Lock the doors, and use that new bed you acquired for me. Better that then get ripped off for a taxi fare to your place and back in the , it's not my bed remember, it's there for you when you get drunk and need somewhere to pass out, this is that, just without the alcohol. Deal?. And don't even think of going back to your place till you have had a good few hours sleep. Understood"

"Fine, but if your neighbours start talking, or writing blogs again, it's not my fault"

"I think I can handle that. I'll go just now and call you back tomorrow. Night"

With that he hung up his phone, Nell put her phone back in her pocket , and moved towards the bedroom with the actual bed in it.

Laying down on the bed she pulled the bedroll over her body and surprisingly managed to doze off.

…..

"Hello Mr Callen, what can I do for you so early in the morning"

"I need a favour."

I make no promises, but ask away"

"I want access to some NCIS Agent service histories"

"Is this to do with an investigation in your carrier group"

"No Hetty, it's not. I want to use the service histories as breadcrumbs for my mind to follow. I realized that I can't sit here for weeks, months or years hoping my memories will come back to me. What I've remember came from little pieces of information that you or Nell provided. I want to try the same thing using specifics about cases I've worked, etc"

"Are you sure this is what you really want?"

"Hetty. I was shot protecting Nell, after rescuing a woman who I can't remember, with two men that I don't know, and that are unhappy with me, and with Nell about lying about my status at NCIS. So yes I think this is what I want"

"Very well. I'll make sure Mr Beale makes the files available to you when he come in"

"I also need one more thing Hetty… and you may be less inclined to grant this request"

…..

"Very nice to have everyone back. You especially Ms Blye. Mr Beale, if you would care to begin"

"At 0723 this morning a Commander Traylen, reported a B&amp;E to the LAPD. She works for Naval intelligence. When the LAPD questioned her, she confirmed that the only item stolen was a laptop that contained Top level Classified material relating to upcoming operations in the middle east, parts of south America and against pirates in the waters around Somalia. Given the contents of the computer it is felt that she was specifically targeted. The first of the operations on the computer goes active within 72 hours"

"Mr Hanna, Detective Deeks… speak to the commander and her superior. Assess anyone close to her at work , or home, that may have had cause to target her.

Ms Blye, You will have to remain here, and work with Mr Beale until you receive your psychological evaluation.

Ms Jones, go home and pack, you are required in one of our foreign offices. No Commercial flight this time. Stop by my office on your way home.

Come on now Mr Hanna, get on with job at hand we have a ticking clock to work against"

…..

"So how's it looking doc?"

"Your wound looks to be healing despite it looking like your pushing your body. The stitches should be able to come out in another week or so. You can stop using the sling in a few days though, if you agree to stop pushing your body like you obviously are. Do you need any more pain killers"

"No, thank you. I think I can manage a little bit of pain"

"As you wish Agent Callen. Do you need a report filed with NCIS, as to your physical condition"

"No thank you. The first one should have been enough to satisfy my boss."

He knew he had been pushing himself more than he should, but he was getting really pissed off not being able to use his left arm as anything more than a place to hold his sat phone or camera. But all the pain he could feel was worth it to know that he had protected his 'family', that they were fine… that she was fine. It was something he wouldn't admit, not that he had anyone he would be prepared to admit it to anyway, but to himself, he could admit to being interested in the petite redhead. The problem remained that he still did not know if his interest in her was his, or his. It wasn't like he could ask her if he had ever displayed any interest in her, especially if she said that he hadn't.

At least for the time being he could focus on an actual investigation. Even if it would work out to be fairly short. An officer that had been transferred as replacement for another sailor that needed medical treatment beyond the facilities available onboard, was suspected of distributing cocaine to at least 4x crew members. But so far, despite locker searches, he could not find out how it was being stored. He was lucky that it wasn't just him that was confused with how this could be happening, but that didn't excuse the fact that it was happening, that despite being a highly trained, long service investigator that he couldn't see how the accused had been doing it. All the drug activity started when he transferred on board, all the victims berthed in the same compartment. He had been the first navy crew member transferred onboard since they had left Norfolk.

Getting back to his cabin he decided to check his email and run another service history and arrest history check on the suspect. After starting another NCIC check on the crewman, he opened his email, looking for the normal daily update, and blood results taken from the affected crewmen… checking the list of new mail, he spotted one that peaked his interest, from .

Opening the email he found he was pleasantly surprised. He had requested some assistance until he once again had use of both arms. He had asked not expecting to get help –especially since OSP didn't normally has agents assigned to Ships, so would probably not be able to spare anyone else, but at the same time not wanting to reveal that he wasn't in as good a condition as he liked to believe. He was to receive another agent to assist… well NCIS employee. She was sending Nell out to the Seahawk, for the second time in a few weeks. She was expected to arrive the next day…

"Mr Callen, your making a habit of coming up here"

"I realize that sir. I was hoping I could make a request of you. I was in contact with my boss yesterday and expressed a need for some help while my shoulder continues to heal. She had agreed to send another agent to assist me for at least 2 weeks, and informs me that the other agent will arrive on board tomorrow. So I was hoping that I could make use of a bunk while my colleague is on board"

"I'm sure that we can accommodate. Provided it is just one colleague this time"

"It will just be one colleague, and only for a short time. The alternative would be for me to rotate back to the states and another agent take my place. And I wasn't too keen on that option sir"

"Speak with the XO, he'll make a bunk available to you"

"My thanks"

…..

He had managed to pack away his gear into his bag to leave space for Nell to stow her own gear while she was aboard.

He had been lucky that he hadn't had that much gear to pack up, and that tomorrow he could possibly stop using the sling. But he didn't want to greet her tonight looking like a wounded animal… debating with himself the pro's and con of taking the sling off tonight even if it was just for when she arrived, he realized she would probably not be too pleased to find him going against medical advice. She may have been short, but he could imagine being scared of her, if she was in a bad enough mood. It would be better for his health to keep using it tonight, and wait till the morning to stuff it under the bunk in the event he would need it again.

He had gotten a bit worked up about Nell arriving, he didn't want to have her be sent out here if it appeared to her or Hetty that he could have managed himself. It had occurred to himself, that having her here to help would be beneficial not just to the actual job, but also to help with his hunt for his memories.

Walking up to the flight deck he had tried to push down any worries about working so closely with her. He would be glad to see her again, and not just because of the confusing feelings… he had told her last time she was aboard ship, that she was probably his best friend… even if that was just since the hospital. Opening the door out onto the deck he looked about for the lights from the aircraft as it moved around the ship to line up to land. 'No turning back now' he thought

"Agent Jones. Very nice to see you again. Let me carry your bag, you can open the doors for me"

"Technically I'm still an Analyst, Not an Agent. And its good to see you too, even if you left me with a lot of trouble"

Opening the door into the 'tower' he turned back to face her

"What trouble? … oh shit, you mean the rest of the team"

"Yeah, Sam's still pretty upset with me. He thinks I snuck you out of the hospital, even though I did, and that I was the one that arranged to get you moved away before they could see you"

"That's completely untrue. I forced you to help me sneak out of the hospital, and I was the one that asked Hetty to arrange for me to be returned here. But I didn't stop to think of the consequences for you, and I'm sorry for that, I truly am"

"You know hearing you say sorry, or admit you were wrong, kind of makes me hope you don't get your memories back. Not that you shouldn't get your memories back"

"I guess I don't really know who or how I was. I've had my personnel file available to me for a couple of days and, I can't bring myself to look at it. That's actually part of why I asked Hetty for some help. I just didn't expect that Hetty would agree to send someone, and I couldn't have expected that she would send you to help me. I'm pretty sure I've put you through too much as it is"

"Callen, You've not put me through anything, you're my…. you're my friend, and I want to help you. Apart from that, I am glad of some time away from Sam and Eric"

"Can you get the door for me, Thanks"

Entering the cabin, he put her bag down on the bed, and sat down on the desk chair

"So tell me, what's the deal with this Eric… Eric, is this the Same Eric I caught you on the phone to when I got out of the hospital. The Eric that was… complicated, the one you meant to call when you were out at the bar?" He was really hoping that he didn't sound jealous to her.

"Yes, it would be the same Eric. I told you it was complicated, and it is complicated. I wouldn't even know where to begin"

"Have you had anything to eat, I could do with something to eat. Lets go grab something to eat, and we can try to … uncomplicate your 'thing' with Eric."

Opening the door and pushing Nell through it, he pulled the door closed behind him, and told her to follow him.

…..

"So, you're best friends that work together, with both of you having some sort of romantic feelings for the other, but not to the point of actually telling the other.

You were right. It is complicated" starting to laugh, he could see that she wasn't as amused as he was trying to look.

"I can't speak for him, but I don't know that I could actually do anything with him, in that way, in case it didn't work out we lost of friendship. I'd hate to lose him, You know what I mean?"

"Honestly…I'm not sure. I know I've had friends, although acquaintances may be a better description. Although I suspect No would be the more honest answer. Unless you count yourself"

"I suppose asking you that question is fair, since you still have a bit blank spot in your head"

"You said to me that I had 'family', and that Sam is, or was, my friend…. With the last few weeks, I don't know that I could actually be considered any kind of friend. Anyway… Let's go and get you settled for the night, and we can get started fresh in the morning"

Back at the NCIS cabin…

"So what way to my accommodation"

"You're taking my cabin, and I'm staying in one of the compartments downstairs"

"No way, You can stay here I'll stay in the berthing compartment"

"Nell, do not argue with me about this. I can sleep anywhere, as what I used as a bed back home is testament to. The only option was to share the cabin, but that would send the wrong message to any members of the crew"

Grabbing his bag he turned to leave the cabin

"So bed down, and I'll be back for you around 0720"

…..

All Nell could hear was a knocking. Pulling a pillow over her head to drown out the noise, but the knocking continued.

"Come in, just stop knocking"

The knocking stopped, the door opened and then closed after someone entered.

"Are you planning to stay in bed all day?"

Nell started groaning through the pillow, "No, I'll get up… what time is it"

"0820. I've been at the door knocking three or four times in the last hour"

"Why didn't you just come in then" Nell had pulled the pillow off her face by this time and moved to sit up in bed

"Well I didn't want to intrude in your privacy. And I didn't know how you slept.. I mean clothing wise. I worked with a guy years ago, who I found out too late, slept in the nude. I got a hell of a shock when he walked into the kitchen, straight from bed.

"Well I don't sleep in the nude"

Making an attempt at humour, Callen said possibly the worst thing possible

"I don't know if I should be happy or disappointed about that"

"Ha ha. Can you give me 5 minutes to get ready. I'll meet you down in the mess hall"

Callen opened the door and moved to exit. Trying to continue his humour he quickly said "Ok. Just don't go back to sleep" and pulled the door shut as Nell threw the pillow at the door.

Sitting in the mess hall, Callen was continuing to go over his investigation in his head, hoping he would pick up on something he had missed before.

"How early were you up?"

"Just 5 or 6 hours. Couldn't sleep, so I've been trying to work on my current case. Do you want to eat just now, or would you prefer to wait a bit?"

"I can wait, but I would love some coffee"

"I'll be right back, wait here" and just like that Nell was left alone sitting at the table

"You're new. Need someone to show you where to have a good time"

Turning round to find a sailor, with a look on his face she had seen on several men before – he thought he was gods gift to women.

"No, I'm fine… I have a friend to show me anything I need or want to see. But thanks for the offer" Nell was hoping that would be enough to send him on his way

"Come on now, don't be like that. You know you'd have a much better time with me, than whatever geek…"

Having got Nell her coffee, Callen started walking back to their table. Noticing a crewman standing at the table talking to Nell, who looked a bit stressed, he was overcome with concern for her.

Walking back with more urgency than he had planned, he approached the table just to hear Nell tell the sailor "No thank you".

"There you go Nell" he put the mug down in front her

"Thanks Callen" Callen noticed that she was sounding quite quiet

"Anything I can help you with crewman?" he made a point of trying to draw the sailors attention to the NCIS badge clipped onto his belt

"No, Nope. Was just being friendly" and with that the crewman turned and walked away.

Returning his attention to Nell

"Are you actually ok. You were looking a bit stressed"

"He was just offering to show me around. Didn't seem to want to be no"

Thinking over just what Nell had said, and adding it to what he had just seen, he seemed to lose focus on where he was looking. His face started to look rather angry, he stood up and muttered something about having a word with the crewman. Before he even managed to stand up he could feel something grip onto his hand, looking down, he could see Nell's own hand griping tightly onto his hand, while urging him to leave it along

"Please, Callen, leave it alone… nothing happened. I don't want a fuss made"

"Ok. This time I'll not speak to him… but he bothers you again.. I'm gonna be having words with him"

"Deal, Next time. So you said you were working on a case. Tell me about it, maybe I can help"

So Sitting back down, Callen started to fill her in on the particulars of the case

"What property did he have his locker or storage area?"

"Not much. If I remember right, Clothes, Boot polish, Towels, and a Bag of toiletries. Nothing suspicious"

"Shaving foam?"

"Yeah, two cans. So what?"

"It's not unheard of for smugglers to use things like a can of Shaving foam, to smuggle something. The bottom of the tin can be unscrewed to allow stuff to be stored inside, they contain an amount of foam so that if it was checked, it still dispensed the foam. Unless you know what you're looking for, you could ignore it without realizing that it isn't what it says on the tin"

Thinking over what she had said, the gears started to turn and he realized just how correct she had been. He wouldn't have looked twice at the tin.

"Leave your coffee, and come with me. I'll get you a fresh mug later, I promise"

And with that, he was on his feet and walking with purpose to test out her theory, with Nell following close behind

…..

#14

"That was a good find Agent Callen, Thank you for solving the problem before anymore of men were affected"

"It wasn't me that worked out what was happening. That was all my colleague Ms Jones here"

"Well then. Thank you Ms Jones. Maybe we should keep you aboard, and throw Mr Callen overboard." The captain hadn't tried to hide his attempt at humour, and was glad that Nell picked up on it.

"There you go, We'll need to tell Hetty that the Captain wants you as Agent Afloat, and wants to send me home" he started laughing as they started back to the cabin.

Nell was just glad that she had been of some use

"So I meant to ask earlier. Are you not meant to still be using the sling?"

"Nope. The Doctor says I could take it off, provided I don't push myself too hard. No need to worry"

"Well that's good timing, because I brought you a little present to help you rebuild your strength"

When they got back to the cabin, Nell dug out the gift. A set of Grip strengtheners he could use to build strength in his arms. He thanked her, and even gave her a quick hug.

But before long they got back to the reason she had been flown out… his history.

"So what I was thinking was that we start on your own history with the agency, and then look over agents you worked with that are no longer alive to assist you, and then move onto agents you have had regular interaction with."

"I trust you, so if you think that's the best option… I'll agree with you"

"Well let's get started"

…..

"Can I meet you down in the mess hall. I just need 10 minutes to make a call"

"Sure"

Callen watched as Nell closed the door behind herself. The he picked up the Sat phone and dialled

"Hetty, It's Callen"

"…."

"Yes I know I already sent my report. I wanted to make an additional note that I don't think I could really add to the official report"

Nell was pleased that she seemed to remember how to get down to the mess hall. It had been a long day, covering over Callen's history with the agency. Some things he could remember vividly, others were just flashes, and the majority still remained out of reach

"Ah, you come looking to take me up on my offer"

All Nell could think was 'Oh god. Not you again' She was well aware that Callen probably wouldn't be close enough to help her this time.

"No. I'm just going down to the mess, to meet Agent Callen"

"Oh yeah. The cop… That make you a badge bunny, Hm?"

"I'm not interested in talking with you. Just leave me alone please"

"Very polite aren't you. Maybe I should show you something anyway, and you can show me something. What do you have under that little cardigan huh"

The crewman grabbed Nell from behind, and pushed her back first into the bulkhead.

"Now how bout you be real friendly"

Nell was panicking, which wasn't helped by not seeing anyone else in either direction of the corridor. The crewman was pressing her arms against the bulkhead, and her arms were starting to really hurt, where he was pressing on them.

He kept leaning against her, pressing his body against her, and moving his head towards her face like he intended to try kissing her. She closed her eyes tight, and kept turning her head side to side so that he wouldn't be able to touch her lips.

Then, when she believed he was going to come in contact with her lips, the weight from the crewman pressing on her arms vanished and she could hear a voice shouting quite loudly, and sounding very angry "Get your hands off of her"

Then she heard what sounded like a cross between a punch and a hard slap, and then a thud. Still not opening her eyes out of fear of what could happen to her, she started repeating over and over, asking whoever was there, to not hurt her

Next thing she heard was the male voice calling to someone to 'get the master at arms'…

Then a large pair of hand were placed on her shoulders

"Nell, It's me… it's Callen. You're going to be alright. You can open your eyes, He isn't going to touch you again"

Opening her eyes and seeing that it really was Callen, she wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him tight as she started crying

"Agent Callen, are you seriously trying to suggest that one of my crew made unwanted advances on your colleague"

Sounding almost as angry as he looked…

"No Skipper. I'm not suggesting that. I'm telling you that your Crewman Smithe, tried forcing himself on Special Agent Jones!, and that's after harassing her this morning in the mess"

"So what is it you want me to do"

"I want you to make sure he is kept in the brig until Special Agent Jones decides if she wants to press charges, and no matter what she decides, I want this put in his service record"

"Is that really necessary. The Mans father is a big wig in congress"

"Sir, I appreciate that , and the position it may put you in. But if had been your wife or daughter he had done it to, what would you want done?"

"Fine."

"What's the doctor said to you"

In a quiet voice she tells Callen that she is uninjured apart from some bruises on her arms, and that she is grateful to him to stopping the crewman.

"I know that you don't want to think about it, but you need to decide if you want to press charges against him"

"I Don't want anyone to know. Just leave it alone"

The thought that Nell was going to let this guy away with this, because she didn't want anyone to know made him angry. The anger wasn't directed at her or her decision… it was directed at the guy that did this to her, that he could walk away from this scot-free.

"Ok Nell. Whatever you want. Come on I'll take you back to the cabin"

He sure as hell wasn't going to let him get away with it, but he wouldn't do anything that would come back on Nell.

Walking Back to the cabin Callen held onto one of Nell's hands. It was a gesture to make her feel safer, so she knew she wasn't alone. He could see that she was quite withdrawn, but this wasn't something he knew how to deal with.

"There you go Nell. You're safe here. Do you want anything to eat? I could pop down to the mess to grab you something to eat"

"Something would maybe be good" she responded quietly

"Ok, I'll be right back. Lock the door behind me, and don't open it till I get back ok"

Nell nodded, as Callen left the cabin.

…..

*Knock Knock* "Nell it's Callen, can you let me in"

After a few seconds the door opens and he sees Nell standing there, with tears running down her face. Putting the plate down on the desk, he closes the door and pulls her towards him into a hug

"Hey, come on now. It's ok. I won't let anyone hurt you"

All Callen can hear are her sobs, and then a muffled "I know"

Letting her go, and indicating she should sit down, he passes the plate to her.

"Have something to eat"

After a few minutes filled with nothing but the noise of food being chewed, she turns to Callen and asks him if she did the right thing not pressing charges against Smithe

"Nell, it was completely your choice. I understand your reasons for not wanting to press charges. Personally, I would beat him black and blue, and then toss him overboard, and that's the nicest thing I would do" He can hear her chuckle a little at that comment.

"Seriously Nell. I'll have your back no matter what, ok"

"Thanks Callen. So where did we get up to in your History?"

He could tell she was trying to distract herself, and if that was what she wanted to do, he would support her

"I think you said Macy was next"

"Right then, just give me a moment to pull up the file, then we can begin"

They worked away, doing Macy, Renko, Hunter, Gibbs, Vail, Getz and a few others.

By the time they got to the end of the list of former colleagues, it was getting late. They agreed to stop there for the night, and Callen got ready to leave

"Lock the door behind me ok, and I'll come back in the morning. That ok?"

"Callen, could you… would you mind.. Can you stay here with me tonight. I really don't want to be alone"

"It wouldn't be right for me to do that. It could send the wrong message"

"Please, Callen I don't think I could sleep by myself. Please?"

"Ok. I'll stay with you. But you do know its going to be a tight squeeze. I'm going to go grab some stuff from my bag ok. I'll be back in 15 minutes ok"

…..

Callen had woken up several times during the night. He kept having nightmares, where he hadn't gotten to Nell before Smithe had done his worst. The nightmares angered him and made him feel weak and ashamed for failing Nell. No woman should ever suffer those sorts of actions. Each time he realized it was a nightmare, he would wake up to be reminded that Nell was with him, that she was still (mostly) ok. That alone helped him relax a bit, and helped ease him back to sleep.

But this time however, what woke him up wasn't nightmares, it was vivid flashbacks to conversations, and working operations with the Agents he and Nell had covered before they went to bed. His brain was surging with memories of these people, people he missed, people he felt the guilt for their deaths, people that had been 'family'. The phone call he had gotten from Gibbs, to tell him that Macy had been murdered, and that he promised that he would catch the bastard. He kept the promise. He had considered Gibbs and Macy 'family', even though they didn't always get on with one another. He could remember sending flowers and a sympathy note to Macy's mother.

Luckily he had managed not to shock Nell awake, and kept checking when he awoke, that she was still there, and still breathing. She was huddled up close to him , sleeping with her head on his chest. He felt so at peace with her laying here, and at the same time he felt guilt and shame for enjoying sleeping with the 20 something analyst.

That in turn had him arguing with himself about his feelings for her. Not helped by the fact that he didn't have anyone he could talk about this with.

Deciding that he needed to talk with someone about this, he grabbed the pillow he had been using and managed to gently slide out of bed and position the pillow under Nell's head.

Grabbing his phones he silently left the cabin and moved to a quiet open space he could make a call.

Having dialled the phone he lifted it to his ear, hearing it ring he wondered if he would get an answer

"Hello?" a sleepy voice answered

"Sam. It's um.. it's Callen. Look I know we may not be on good terms at the moment. But I need to discuss something with someone who knows me"

"Give me a second to get out of the bedroom, Don't want to wake Michelle"

A few seconds of quiet muffled noises were followed by

"Ok G. What's going on"

And Callen started telling him all about what happened, asking about his feelings towards different people and then opened up about his confused feelings towards Nell.

…..

After he had finished his call, he realized it was still only 0300. Not feeling so confident after his talk with Sam, he chose to avoid returning to the cabin. Being told by someone who knew him well, that he had never demonstrated any feelings towards Nell other than friendship and affection, like that between a brother and sister, had not helped him as he had hoped. He didn't feel confident in his ability to re-enter the cabin and get back in bed without waking Nell, Nor could he not go back to the cabin until at least 0700. He decided he needed a distraction, something like a run, but shorter than he would normally do. Thankfully he was still wearing the loose-fitting clothes he had gone to sleep in, so he decided to do a half or full hour run, after which he would try to sneak back to bed.

Getting back to the cabin a little over an hour after he had set out on his run, he opened the door as quietly as possible and slunk inside, softly closing the door behind him. Finding her still asleep, he pulled off his shoes and lay back down on the bed, gently lifted her head from the pillow and laid her back down on his chest.

Try as he did, he couldn't drift off into slumber again. So he lay back and stared at the ceiling, thinking over everything from the last 24 hours. Nell had started mumbling every now and again, nothing that he could understand, but enough that had him concerned for the young woman.

Nell started to wake around 0700, none the wiser about Callen having left and come back.

"Morning. How did you sleep?"

"Mmmm good" she stretched her arms as she was talking.

"You want to get up and I'll go down with you to get something to eat"

"I'd like that. Can you give me a few minutes to get changed"

Callen had already got changed while she was asleep, and was on his feet and moved to exit the room. "I'll just be outside if you need me"

A few minutes later Nell exited from the cabin, and set off for the mess, with Callen following her closely

"So how's the Bacon and Sausages?"

"It's really good. I can't believe you didn't want any"

Before Callen could respond, he felt a hand grab his still tender shoulder, and a voice telling him to stand up and surrender.

"What's this about?" Callen asked, clearly irritated by the distraction

"Sir, there has been an allegation that you assaulted a member of the crew. I'm here to escort you to the brig"

Standing up, Callen handed over his NCIS badge, ID Weapon and the Sat phone to Nell.

"Nell. Take these, and go back to the cabin. Once I know what's going on, I'll ask the master at arms to inform you, since you'll have to stand in as Agent Afloat"

Nell was still in shock as she watched Callen be escorted out of the mess.

*Knock knock*

"Ma'am, I've been asked to inform you of the charges against Agent Callen"

Nell opened the door to face the man, before he could say another word

"Agent Callen had been charged with assault against a member of the US Navy, aboard a Navy vessel. The accuser is a Seaman Brian Smithe.. The captain has agreed to release Seaman Smithe, and had ordered that Agent Callen be detained until further notice"

With that, the man was gone and Nell closed the door and sat down in shock about what she had just been told.

Callen had actually been charged and detained, because he was trying to protect her while she had been preyed upon.

She didn't have a clue what to do in these circumstances… so she decided to call the only person she knew, that would know what to do.

"Hetty, Help me. Callen's been arrested. I don't know what I'm meant to do…"

And she continued to spell out what had happened

…..

#15

"Agent Jones. Can you tell me why my request for another NCIS agent to handle this case has been declined. "

"Yes Captain, I can. Another agent has been assigned to the case. I'm not required to tell you any more than that, But I want to know why that man has been released, while Agent Callen has been locked up"

"I'll tell you the same thing that I told your Agent Callen. Crewman Smithe, his father is positioned high up in congress, and I've been advised that we not antagonize him."

"So what you're saying is that he can do more or less whatever he wants, and nothing will be done, just because his father could maybe cause some problems for you, and your career"

"Don't mistake my compliance, for approval of his actions. What he did was flat-out wrong"

With that being said Nell turned around and returned to the cabin, locking the door behind her.

She stayed in the cabin for the rest of that day, only leaving late at night when she went to use the toilet, returning to the cabin after that.

She didn't like having to hide away, but she didn't know how she would cope if she ran into Smithe again. Luckily she had some junk food and a few bottles of water in her bag to help sustain her until help could arrive the next day.

She didn't sleep well that night, her mind kept replaying Callen's arrest, and Smithe trying to force himself on her. She knew rationally that very few navy personnel would flex to suit the demands of people like the Smithes. This captain just so happened to be one such person, and it annoyed her, because she knew Callen had been getting on with the captain, and that he knew what Smithe had done to her, and yet he was still willing to back the wrong horse.

…..

By the following afternoon Nell had eaten most of what food she had brought with her, and was almost out of water. Thankfully, she knew she could leave the cabin shortly to meet Sam on the next COD flight. But she was worried that she may have to tell him why Callen was really in the brig, worried that he would look at her differently, that he would tell the others back at OSP what had been done to her. However she knew that Callen wouldn't tell him, or anyone else she knew, without discussing it with her first.

"I thought you were working out of one of our foreign offices, didn't realize you were taking a pleasure cruise"

"You know me Sam, I just do as I'm told"

Nell guided Sam down to the NCIS Cabin to tell him briefly what was going on..

"In all seriousness, what's going on, why's G in the brig?"

"He punched a seaman, and the seaman is pressing charges. The captain is basically supporting the Seaman because of who his father is"

"and that is?"

"Congressman Samuel Smithe. He sits on the armed services committee"

"Great, politics. At least tell me G had a good reason for hitting this idiot"

"I think that's a matter of opinion Sam.

"OK, You stay here and I'll go speak to G, and see what I can do"

"You're making a habit of finding yourself locked up. Want to tell me what's going on?"

"Long story or short story?"

"Gimme the short story, then we'll see if I need the long story"

"He was doing something I didn't approve of, so I hit him"

"I love the detail you put across in that … hint. What really happened, in detail"

"I can't. I mean I could, but I made a promise"

"So you'd rather keep this promise, and spend god knows how long in a cell"

"Yeah, pretty much"

"You know, you're as cryptic as Hetty, and that's no compliment. I need to know what happened and why, and I need to know it now."

"Sam, it's not up to me. If you made a promise to your wife, or your kids, would you break that promise, knowing that it could affect how they view and trust you"

"G, We're not talking about a promise to buy a new toy, or a promise to help plant some flowers in the yard. This promise of yours could lead to you getting the sack, and spending a lot of time in that cell until you get into a court room"

"Look, speak to Nell. She can tell you, but make sure she knows that she doesn't have to"

"Come on man, what the hell is happening here. You call me the other night saying you've feelings for her, and now you're willing to stay in a cell, rather than tell me what went down"

"It's not my place to tell you"

Sam stood up, and walked away utterly frustrated by his partner

"Ok Nell. I spoke to G, and he seems to want to lose his job and spend a fair amount of time in jail to keep whatever happened, a secret. So Tell me now, what really happened"

Nell seemed to shrink as Sam was speaking to her, like she was trying to hide something,

"Nell, I know how G feels about you, ok." Nell raised her head to stare at Sam "But you can't let him lose his job through this"

"He doesn't feel anything for me Sam, ok, We're just friends"

"Look, I know what I've seen, I know what he told me the other night, and I can see what he's doing just now… I just don't know why"

Looking down at her shoes, She starts explaining to Sam what actually happened.

"Your laptop hooked into the Ships communications?"

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"Can you open a link to OPS"

Nell typed away on the keyboard, and moved to the side as the video link opened

"Mr Hanna, Sitrep"

"G's in the brig for punching a seaman Smithe, the son of Senator Smithe.

G caught him trying to force himself on… a female crewman, pulled him of and punched him. Sounds like just cause to me. The captain , according to a recording Nell made, is following instructions to not antagonize the seaman, or his father, due to concerns about actions that could be taken against him"

Nell was surprised, but pleased to hear that Sam hadn't let slip that it had been her that Smithe had tried to force himself on

"I believe that I should speak to Director Vance, I'm sure he should be able to handle this situation. In the mean time, I suggest you advise the captain that it's not in the best interests of his career to keep Mr Callen locked up"

"Ok Nell, Do you want to wait here, or would you like to see the Captain with me"

Oh I'm coming with you, I wouldn't want to miss the look on his face"

"…So I suggest you release my partner. And I wouldn't expect to advance your career, or keep your position, especially not if my boss, and my bosses boss actually get round to speaking to SECNAV about this"

The captain stared back, his face a sight to behold, vacant expression, and a mouth slightly opened in shock, as he realised he had become his own downfall.

"I Would also recommend that you lock up Smithe, because if he's still loose by the time my partner is released, he's liable to get hit again, and I would be inclined to help my partner. I hope we all understand the situation"

Not giving the captain even a second to respond, Sam and Nell turned round and left the bridge with smiles creeping onto their faces.

By the time they got down to the brig, Smithe had been locked up and Callen was just being released. Seeing Sam and Nell there, he walked up to Sam and shook his hand, Sam shook it back and grabbed onto Callen's shoulder with his other hand. Unfortunately Callen winced in pain, as Sam realised he had mistakenly, grabbed his partners bad shoulder

"That's what you get for sneaking off, without even saying good-bye"

"Ok. It was the wrong thing to do ok. Is Michelle not going to be pissed at you not being home?"

"She knows what's going on. So, how long's your memory been back"

"It's not. Just some flashes here and there. The time in the brig gave me time to mentally go over the files Nell and I covered the other day. But I know who you are… still not so sure about that Detective you were partnered with. You did get him spayed didn't you"

Sam erupted into laughter, it had been a long time since he had been able to have a laugh at Deeks expense.

Sam could see that Callen wanted to talk with Nell. Excusing himself by claiming he needed something to eat, he disappeared leaving Nell and Callen alone

"Thank you" Callen looked into her Hazel eyes as he spoke to her "You didn't have to tell him, I wouldn't have told anyone… I hope you know that"

"I do know, but I wasn't about to let you get the sack or spend any more time in the brig. Besides, Sam is family, and I realized that you should always be able to trust your family" having gotten that out She once again moved over to him and hugged him, Callen wouldn't admit it, but he enjoyed the close contact with Nell during any of their hugs.

She still had a part of what Sam had said to her, going round her brain 'I know how G feels about you'. Analysing that, would keep her occupied for days.

…..

"So when you coming back to OSP?"

"Another 6 weeks or so I think. I spoke with Hetty, and I'm not sure I feel comfortable remaining aboard long-term, given recent goings on.

"So, tell me something… Who's been taking care of your place. Cos I know someone has, doors don't just paint themselves"

"Just a little pixie." Callen smiled, thinking again about what Nell had done for him

"Can you be any more cryptic?"

Sam and Callen sat discussing what had been going on at OPS during his absence, and filling him in on Kensi, and how she was recovering.

"I'm guessing she's still as pissed at me, as you were"

"She's not happy with you. But I wouldn't say she was pissed. Besides, she's been challenging Nell about some guy she was seeing"

The mention of Nell having a guy caused a tight knot to develop deep in his Gut, and he tried to maintain an indifferent look on his face, not wanting to reveal to Sam that it bothered him.

…..

"So, Hetty has contacted me. She is wondering if you're still needing help going over the files, or if she can make plans to get me back to the states?"

"I guess… I mean, I'm sure I can probably manage alone with the files until I'm ready to head back home. That doesn't mean that I won't miss having someone to watch my back"

They both smiled at one another, neither actually being honest. But neither one wanted to admit that they wanted a legitimate excuse to stay together… for now at least.

"So, I should ask Hetty to start making arrangements for me" pressing her lips together, thinking… "Do you mind if I use your sat phone?"

"No, It's all yours" he handed the sat phone over to her. "I'll take a walk. Give you some time"

Left alone, Nell started dialling the phone, trying to decided if she actually wanted to leave yet.

Hearing Hetty's voice she knew it was now or never

"Hetty, you wanted me to get back to you. I…."

"Are you still needed on the Seahawk, or can Mr Callen handle it on his own?"

Realising the best answer that she could give

"He says that he can probably manage alone, but there's something he's not saying"

"Ms Jones. Mr Callen will rarely give you the complete truth, however if you feel that we are best served by having you continue to accompany him, I will abide by your judgement. For Now"

Then Hetty hung up on her end.

"I hope you know what you're doing Nell" she said aloud to herself

Half an hour later when Callen got back to the cabin he found Nell sitting at the desk working on the laptop

"So when does she have you flying out?"

"She thinks that she is best served by having me remain with you for a little longer"

He had to fight against himself to not smile, and let her know he was glad she wasn't leaving him yet

"Too bad. I was really looking forward to having the bed to myself again" he smirked just saying it, in hope it would distract her from any indication as to his real feelings.

"Well you can go back to sleeping alone. You know where the berthing compartment is, right"

…..

A few days later Nell was still trying to analyse what Sam had said about feeling. It wasn't like she could just ask Callen about what Sam had told her.

"So, we've covered almost everything, a few times now actually. I think it's maybe time I go home"

Callen could only look back at her in shock, He wanted her to stay, for so many reasons… because he liked being around her. But also because it kept her away from some guy back home, and he shouldn't want to keep her away from someone she cared about.

"Yeah I guess we have. So I'll give you your privacy and… you can make your arrangements."

Leaving the cabin, Callen needed a distraction, and as usual the only distraction he had was exercise.

He ran from one end of the ship to the other, and back again. He spent over 2 hours in the gym working out, not stopping even when he started to feel pain, and he ran the ship end to end again. By the time he was ready to give in, he looked at his watch to see he had been at it for over four hours, and he didn't feel any better about Nell going home to whatever guy was lucky enough to have her in his life.

He found Nell curled up on the bed, asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, he decided to get changed and go grab something to eat. He noticed a small amount of blood around his wound, but didn't bother giving it a second thought, and carried on getting changed.

He was almost at the mess, when he started feeling a bit light-headed, Trying to support himself against the bulkhead he had to admit he felt awful as he slumped to the deck, and tipped over till he hit his head..

The next thing he knew he was on a bed in the med bay, with the doctor leaning over him, asking if he knew where he was

"Yes, I know where I am. I'm on the Seahawk. How did I wind up in here?"

"You collapsed outside the mess. Your shoulder wound had re-opened, but we've stitched it back up. You will have to wear a sling again until the wound heals, but this time take it easy and don't push your body"

"Sure. Can I go now?"

The doctor waved him in the direction of the exit, and off he went back to his cabin.

When he entered the cabin he found Nell sitting at the desk using the computer. She turned to face him "Where did you go, and why are you back in a sling?" She sounded pretty pissed off in his opinion.

"I had a fall. The doctor saw me, and I'm ok. I just want to grab my bag and go down to my bunk"

"You're not sleeping in a bunk in your condition…"

Callen cut her off

"Nell, just leave me alone ok, make your arrangements and… go back home where you have people who love you"

Grabbing his bag and sat phone, he turned and left.

He knew how cruel he had been, but he didn't want to drag out his own suffering.

…..

#16

"Welcome back my dear, how was the flight? Not too rough I hope."

"The flight was fine Hetty"

"You seem troubled. What did Mr Callen say or do?"

"I don't know, I mean I know what he said, I just don't know what caused it. He was fine one minute, vanished for 5 hours and then came back with his arm in a sling, like he was a different person"

"Ahh. Well we shall see if it Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde that emerges once he resumes reporting in"

"You mean he hasn't reported in since I left?"

"No. He hasn't, Nor has he answered his damn phone each time I have tried contacting him. But not to worry, he always comes back to us after he satisfies his lone wolf needs. Now, I suspect Mr Beale could benefit from your assistance"

Hetty's comments didn't make Nell feel any better about what was going on with Callen.

She hadn't been able to locate him after he had left the cabin, he hadn't even shown up to say good-bye when she boarded her flight from the carrier. Perhaps Hetty was accustomed to his mood changes, but she wasn't. Something must have set him off… perhaps something she had said?. But she didn't think she had said anything that could explain his change. Noting that Sam wasn't about, she decided the best thing she could do was to ask Sam when he got back if Callen had perhaps mentioned some issue.

…..

Callen sat alone in his cabin, he had been sitting along in the cabin for 2 days now. He hadn't been to wash, or to get something to eat. Surviving on bottled water alone wasn't a long-term option, but he hadn't felt up to dealing with anyone. He had even switched off his sat phone after the first 9 calls from Hetty, and he had unplugged his laptop from the data connection.

He had felt like this twice before… the first time was after the 'divorce' from Tracy, and the second was when he had left Kristin Donnelly, at the end of an operation.

But neither time required him to have ongoing contact with either woman. He did know he would eventually have to contact Hetty, but he couldn't face the questions at the moment. If the ship had been in port, he would probably have gone to the nearest bar, and drink anything and everything until he couldn't see straight. But he wasn't in port, and had a job to do, a job that did not require him to speak to or email Nell.

…..

"Sam, Can I have a word with you" she looked about "In private?"

"Sure, where dya want to do this? Gym ok with you?" both of them checking that no one else was about, or attempting to listen in

"So what's wrong Nell"

"Callen hasn't contacted Hetty since I left the Seahawk"

"So?"

"So, he… he changed, almost overnight… apart from the fact that the change only occurred over a few hours. And I don't know what I said or did to annoy him"

"What was the last thing he said to you"

"He said I should 'Go back home where you have people who love you', that mean anything to you?"

Sam chuckled and looked down at the young analyst

"Nell, G isn't like the rest of us, he rarely builds connections with people. When he does, he will do almost anything to take care of the person… be it physically or emotionally. I know you're bright Nell, so I'm sure you will be able to work it out"

"One more thing. You said you knew how he felt about me. What did you mean?"

"You'll figure it out" he called out as he walked out of the gym, leaving Nell looking and feeling confused

…..

"Agent Callen, you're going ashore. I hope you don't mind me asking if it's business or pleasure?"

"Pleasure, ensign. I need a drink, I think I've definitely earned it after that last few weeks

"Walking into town from the naval docks it was easy to observe the wide selection of bars and restaurants on offer. But he wasn't after pleasant company or fine food. He just wanted to sit at the end of a bar, have a few drinks and be left alone. But there were several hundred sailors ashore tonight, and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with any sailors.

Finding a bar that was just far enough away from the docks, he resigned himself to accepting this place, no matter how busy it was.

Ordering a the largest beer he could, he paid and went to sit down,. Surprisingly this place was quite traditional in looks, yet still had a TV on the wall, showing some soccer match.

Sipping his way through several pints of beer he wasn't finding himself anymore at ease, so switched onto whiskey, sitting at the bar to save him spilling his drink (as he had started to stagger a bit), he had several more large glasses before deciding to go back to the dock and get moved back out to the ship. It took him almost an hour to get back to the dock, and a further 10 minutes to be returned to the Seahawk.

Returning to his cabin after being searched for any contraband, he locked the door behind him, tossed his jacket over the chair, grabbed his cell phone and fell back onto the bed.

He dialled Sam, and waited…

"What's up G?"

Callen slurring slightly, responded "I need you to do me a favour"

"Whatever you need"

"I need you to go to my place, use the spare key under the pot at the door, and arrange for someone to change the locks. There's a grand sealed in a pouch in the freezer, use however much you need to"

"You wanna tell me why the sudden urgency to replace the locks, when you're not even home?"

"I just need to make sure no one gets in, that shouldn't get in. Can you do it?"

"Sure. You know Hetty's pretty pissed about you not answering her calls, and Nell seems pretty worried about you"

"I'm still sending her the daily updates, so it's not like I'm completely off the reservation"

"Is that what you expect me to carry back to Hetty. No, I'm not getting in the middle of whatever problem you're having with her, not again. I'll sort the locks though, ok"

"You're a good man Sam. Thanks"

Switching the phone off and throwing it over onto the desk, he lay back down on the bed and blacked out

…..

"Hetty, can I have a word?"

"Please Mr Hanna, have a seat" watching as the larger man sits down at the other side of her desk. "Now, what did you want to talk about"

"I got a strange call from G yesterday. Wanting me to get his locks changed, you know anything about it?"

"No, I've not heard from Mr Callen in any means other than email for almost a fortnight"

"Well I know someone had been tidying up his place, but when I went by last night I noticed he has a bed. A real mattress bed. So someone has been going there and maintaining it, but he isn't asking that person to get the locks changed. I just find it odd since G trusts very few people, and probably even fewer still with a key. I know you keep tabs on us, you've told us as much before, so you must have some idea"

Hetty just stared at him, not saying anything, now twitching a muscle on her face

"Well, if you find out who it is, maybe you could ask why he would want new locks now"

Hetty watched as Sam got up and returned to the bull pen, it was troubling her that Callen hadn't been answering her calls. But at least he had been staying in contact by email… it was the 'why' that had been bothering her more than anything else, but with the news that He had requested his locks be changed, she was starting to see a larger part of the picture, even though a large segment of the picture remained a mystery.

…..

It had now been 3 weeks since Nell had returned to the states, and back to her everyday life. She had been bothered by the way Callen had changed so rapidly with no explanation. She had spoken to Hetty and to Sam… but neither one seemed actually more knowledgeable than she herself. Although Sam had made some cryptic comments to her that she was still trying to work out.

The biggest shock came when she went by Callen's home a few weeks later, to check it over and see if anything needed done.

But the door wouldn't open, the key she had didn't even fit the lock. Why would the key not fit, unless someone had changed the locks. But who would have access to the house. The only keys that she knew of, were the original key that he would probably have, and the spare that he had given her when she dropped him off at San Diego.

She felt that she should tell Hetty, since she had been the one that assigned her the task of checking on the house every now and again. But how could she tell Hetty, that wouldn't make her seem incompetent. But the longer she left telling Hetty, the worse it would be. She would have to bite the bullet

"Hetty, can I trouble you for moment of your time"

"Yes, follow me down to my office"

All that kept going through her mind as she followed Hetty, was 'how do I word this, is this a good idea, maybe I shouldn't say anything just now'

"Have a seat, and tell me what's on your mind"

"There's no good way to tell you this. But Someone has been in, and I think changed the locks at Callen's house" she watched Hetty for any indication of anger, or upset. But nothing… did she..

"Yes I know, I was made aware a week or so ago"

"You've spoken to Callen?"

"No, Mr Hanna came to speak to me about it. Mr Callen contacted him to have the locks changed"

Nell was astounded, she didn't even know that Callen and Sam were on such good terms again.

"Ok. I only found out the other day when I went to check the house. Why did Callen ask for the locks to be changed?"

'and why didn't he just ask me to get it done' Nell thought

"I'm afraid I just don't know as to his reasons why"

"Ok. Well, I thought I should tell you, but obviously there was no need" and Nell took off towards the locker room

"You ok Nell?" Kensi said as she walked further into the female locker room towards Nell.

"Yeah… I'm fine. Just a little confused"

"What's Eric said this time?, Do Sam and I need to have words with him?"

"No, it's not Eric. Its… em, It's a guy I… it's the guy that I mentioned to you before. His personality changed overnight, like maybe I had done something to bother him, but now he won't even answer my calls or emails"

"Well it's his loss then. He's not worth your time getting upset over. How about We'll go out a bar, and get Rose to come with us… and we'll find a guy that would be worth your time"

Nell didn't really feel like going out, but it would be good to have a 'Girls Night', and not think about Callen.

"Ok, I'm in"

…..

"So you gonna tell me the truth about this guy?, 'Cause you hardly said a word all night"

"I promise you, I told you"

"Nell, I know I was locked in a cave for a while. But I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't get involved with that kind of guy. So what the real situation?"

"I really don't think I can tell you Kens. You probably wouldn't believe me if I did tell you"

"I'll believe you, Just tell me… 'cause I don't like seeing you like this"

"It's Callen"

"What's Callen?, What does he have to do with it anyway"

"No.. IT'S Callen"

Kensi just stared at Nell, mouth wide open.

"Ok… You need to tell me everything. Like right NOW"

And so Nell started spilling everything out for Kensi to hear

…..

#17

"Sam, Is Deeks in yet" Kensi was looking about feverishly for her partner.

"Kens, Kensi focus…. He isn't here. He came in, and left after getting a call from Bates. So what're you freaking out about"

"Callen"

"Yes, Callen used to work here, now he works on the Seahawk. So what about him?"

"Sam… Nell, and Callen…. Like Nell AND Callen"

"Yeah"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah Kensi. I Know. I knew before he said a word"

"Ok. So why is he treating her so… shit"

"I think I might be missing something"

"I was out with Nell and Rose last night, and Nell wasn't acting like herself. So I pushed her to tell me what had really happened with this guy she said she had been interested in. So she tells me that he was Callen. And she tells me everything since he was in the hospital, right up to the change of personality a few weeks ago, followed by having you get the locks changed, with no explanation. So explain"

"Deeks and I suspected when we were comin out to find you, They seemed closer than normal. G called me a while after we got you back here, and poured his heart out… Hetty shipped me out the carrier to get him out the brig, something to do with an assault on a crewman. He would have stayed in the brig if Nell hadn't explained what was really going on"

"What was going on? She didn't tell me anything about Callen being put in the brig"

"I'm not going into the full why. But the crewman had harassed Nell, and G punched him out, when he caught him touching Nell. After that, all I know is he called me Drunk saying to get his locks changed. He has a bed in his place now. Putting 2 and 2 together and getting 4, I figure Nell made that happen"

"So he defended her honour, or was it jealousy that drove him. But Nell did say she had got him a bed"

"You know what this means. We need her to marry him, That's the only way we'll ever see that place with more than just that seat of his"

"Well that's not gonna ever happen if we don't figure out what made him change"

"Well I could take a guess. I may have told him you were grilling Nell about some guy she was seeing. Which in retrospect, is probably what set him off on his destructive path"

The looked at each other both wondering the same thing

"How do we get them talking again" they spoke almost simultaneously

…..

Callen was sat in front of his laptop going over the threat assessments for the following day, and skimming over some of the emails.

He had the standard updates from HQ, some newsletters, and one from Sam.

Opening that email he was presented with 3 words

"You're an idiot"

Lovely message from a friend, he thought.

Finishing selecting out the threats that could affect the ship over the coming days he printed the summary out and took it up to the bridge.

He could have slacked off by now, since he wasn't going to be assigned to the Seahawk after tonight, but he wasn't about to bow out, leaving his replacement with extra work to do.

He had, had a few encounters with the captain since his trip to the brig. The captain hadn't been as friendly, but nor had he been rude or unprofessional. Mind you, he hadn't expected the man to look in the eyes, after the threat from Hetty via Sam.

Callen wished he could have seen the look on the Captains face when Sam dropped mention of SECNAV into the discussion.

He had already packed up his gear earlier in the day, to make it quick and easy when he was transferred over to the USS Green Bay in the morning, for forwarding back to San Diego.

He had been giving a lot of thought to his future with NCIS, more specifically his future with OSP. It was made all the tougher since he had managed to regain most of his memories with the help of Nell. But trying to mesh the old personality, memories, feelings and opinions with the new ones he had accrued since he woke up in the hospital, was the hardest part. So far, all he knew was that it was not going to be easy no matter what he did. Be it staying with OSP or transferring to another NCIS field office, if he even decided to remain with the agency.

…..

"Mr Hanna, I have a task for you"

"Sure Hetty, What dya need."

"Mr Callen is due to arrive back into Coronado on Saturday afternoon. I think it would be of benefit to us all, if he had a friendly face to greet him. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Completely agree with you. I'll be there to meet him"

"Kens. Deeks back yet?" He looked around suspiciously

"Nope. Not letting him back in here until he clears up the mess Monty left in my car."

"Hetty just told me G is getting back, at the weekend. Wants me to be there, I'm thinking maybe you come with, See what we're working with"

"I like that. I'll drive…"

"No, I'll drive. We don't want him being sick on the drive back up here"

…..

"You see him yet? It shouldn't be that hard to find him"

"Think I do. Wait in the car, and I'll 'guide him' back here. don't want to spook him"

"So how you doing. Looking forward to getting back home?"

"I'm guessing Hetty sent you. But I could have caught the train. I appreciate you comin though"

"Zoe's been asking if you were bringing her anything back from your trip"

"Yeah, of course I did. Got her and Zach a bottle of Sangria each, and you and Michelle get a cap each from the Seahawk"

"Uh huh. Think we'll keep the Sangria, and let them have the caps, Don't think they would like the taste."

"Uh huh. Nothing to do with the fact that you enjoy you a little sangria"

"Yeah. We'll have to suffer for the kids"

Reaching the Challenger, Callen dropped his bags in the trunk and made a move toward the passenger door

"Hey Callen"

"Kens. Sam didn't say you were here with him"

"Oh didn't I say. Sorry Kens, I must have forgotten you were waiting here"

Kensi climbed out and pulled the seat forward, indicating Callen was sitting in the back

"Sorry Callen, I have shot-gun"

"You are not my favourite agent anymore. Come on, please sit in the back"

Kensi shakes her head at him. Accepting that he has no choice he climbs in the back seat. Kensi pushes her set back and sits down, closing the door. Starting the car and putting it in gear Sam pulls out of the parking lot and onto the road

"So. Since we have a bit of a drive ahead of us. Why have you been shunning Nell. We have a theory, but uh… Thought it would be wise to see what the truth is"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've not been shunning her. I've not even spoken with her lately" Callen was sure that he sounded so genuine, he would even believe himself. If only it was that easy

"Don't talk shit G. You know that I know, and Nell told Kensi things from her side. So what changed"

"Sam pull over, I'll hitch hike before I discuss the crazy theories you both have"

"Ain't happening. What changed, you know what you told me, and you're not a good enough liar to have me believe what you told me was an act"

"Fine, ok. Yeah, I liked Nell. I spoke to Nate, and he said it was normal. That it was some, Florence Nightingale syndrome thing, because she was the one that was there when I got let out of the hospital, the person I had most contact with"

"Come on Callen. Sam told me that you attacked some guy that harassed her, or because he touched her. That's not just a friend thing"

"I'm not going to discuss that. Change the subject"

"Are you not tired of keeping it all to yourself?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He looked at Sam in the mirror, and then over at Kensi. Best described as shooting daggers with his eyes"

"Don't be that way. We just want what's best for you both"

"YEAH, well I'm not what's best for her" he took a breath and whispered "She has Eric, Doesn't need me"

He sat looking down at his chest for the remainder of the drive, not bothering to respond to either of his friends.

When they got back to Callen's house, they let him get out and grab his bags, Sam handed over the new door lock key and they watched him as he opened the door and disappeared inside.

"You think that maybe he doesn't think he is good enough for her?"

Sam looked over at her and replied "He probably thinks he's too damaged, that he doesn't have anything to offer her. Maybe it would've been different if he didn't remember who he was"

"I don't think it would matter to her whether he was the way he is, or if he was the guy that she met in that hospital"

"I think we have to leave it to them. We can't make them be together, if that's not what they want"

…..

#18

Looking around his lounge, he was glad that he still felt comfortable in it. It was a far larger living space than he had been used to in the last couple of months. The freedom he once again had, to cook whatever he wanted, to have a shave with no one else in the room and most importantly, he was free to have a beer or some whiskey whenever he wanted, and in whatever quantities he felt appropriate.

It had been a long day. Arrival into port, disembarking, passing through security, and then his interrogation at the hands of Sam and Kensi. It had already started getting dark, but Callen was in no mood to try to get some sleep… grabbing his door key again he walked out the door and headed down the road to the local bar.

Callen had been in his local bar for a few hours, trying to drown out his unwanted thoughts. He would have preferred to have gone out for a few drinks with Sam, but he didn't think he could handle Sam asking him questions that he didn't want to think about the answers. Despite having the vast majority of his memories back, he didn't feel any less confused over recent events.

He knew that if he was being sensible he would have finished his current drink, and walked home. But he didn't want to be sensible right now, he wanted to have a few more drinks to numb things and make it a little easier to ignore his thoughts.

The bar he was in, was his local. He had been there many times in recent years, not often enough that he could be considered a regular. But often enough that he was known to the barman. By the time it got close to closing Callen wasn't in too good a condition, he was slouched in one of the booths in the back of the bar. The barman came over to tell Callen that it was almost closing time, and found that he would probably struggle to get home safely, unless he lived within a block of the bar. He managed to convince Callen to call a friend and have them pick him up, and take him home.

"Sam, Can you come pick me up. I'm sorry if I woke you up. I'm at the bar near my place."

"…."

"I'll wait here. Thanks"

By the time that Sam appeared the bar had been closed, and he found Callen leaning against the building. Managing to get him sat in the car, he took off to Callen's place.

"So you wanna tell me why you came out and got near blind drunk?" Sam asked his friend and partner

"I didn't think there was anything wrong with going out for a few drinks after a couple of months at sea"

"Nah, nothing wrong with it, if that's what it actually the reason. It was only a few weeks ago that you called me drunk, begging for me to change your locks. I'm just worried man. I've rarely seen ya like this, and I wanna know if its something you need help with, or just want to talk about"

"What do you want me to tell you Sam. That this is because of a crush, or PTSD or what… what do you actually want me to say"

"G. I've seen you in a lot of conditions. But the way you've been the last few times I've seen you, the way you've spoken. The last time I saw you like this was with the Donnelly woman. There's nothing wrong with wanting something, other than work in your life, something other than casual sex"

"You don't get it Sam. You have a family, a real flesh and blood family. You have Michelle, the kids your parents. You know who and what you are. Me, I am the job… it's all I have, I really appreciate the friendship we have, and that you treat me like family. But that doesn't mean that I can be more than I already am, and it doesn't mean I can be anything but an anchor around a woman's neck, dragging her down"

Sam pulled up outside Callen's house, and thought about what he had been told.

He helped Callen get out of his car, and into the house.

…..

"Mr Callen. Good to have you back with us. Eric Brief them."

"This morning the LAPD recovered a crate of MP5N sub machine guns from a van involved in a collision, the driver is believed to be associated with a Mexican militant group. When the serial numbers were checked, they were traced back to a batch of guns delivered to Coronado. The weapons were reported as delivered, and registered on the computer system, and then were listed as delivered to the USS Pearl Harbour. But the batch delivered don't have the correct serial numbers. Discreet checks reveal that no weapons are actually missing."

Hetty moves to stand in front of the team

"Director Vance and SECNAV would like us to look into how Navy weapons are getting off base, without being flagged up as missing."

She turned to Callen.

"I know that you're just back. I want you and Ms Blye to head down to Coronado, interrogate the armoury and stores team, Ms Jones will be going with you to check the inventory systems."

Turning to Sam  
"I need you and Mr Deeks to speak with the LAPD, and Once the driver is released from the hospital, I want you to take him to the boat shed. Find out where he got the weapons, and where he was taking them"

Hetty turned and left OPS for her office, leaving Sam and Kensi looking at Callen and Nell, who both looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Bet you've missed working closely with me Sam. Any chance I could drive the Challenger, just when we get to the LAPD evidence garage. You have no idea how the guys there talk about me 'cause Kensi never lets me drive. I swear they think she has me whipped"

Sam, Kensi and Deeks turn to look at Deeks.

"She does" Sam and Callen state simultaneously, as they headed out of OPS. Kensi followed behind them, stopping only to pat Deeks' shoulder and to give him a puppy dog facial expression.

"So, that's a no then?" Deeks called out after the three agents

"You gonna be ok with Kens and Nell?"

"I'll be fine Sam, it's you I'm worried about" he laughed in response, as he walked to the locker room.

Sam turned to face Kensi, and moved closer to her

"You keep an eye on him. This would have been awkward enough if Nell was only working in OPS. But having them work together his first day back, gonna be a weird one" He turned hearing steps behind him, seeing it was Nell he smiled and walked away, calling to Deeks to get a move on.

When Callen reappeared from the locker room he walked into the bullpen and stood next to Nell, putting his hand out towards Kensi

"Hand the keys over. There's no way I'm up to having you drive. I was in storms that were less vomit inducing than your driving.

Kensi scowled at him, but handed the key over before following behind him out to the car.

"You going to be ok with this" she spoke quietly to Nell

"Yeah, I should be. I'm not going to be stuck with him all day."

…..

"So what were you and Kensi been all chummy and secret about earlier" the LAPD Detective asked

"Just talking about how good it was to have G back"

"Nah, it's not that. You've got some sort of secret, and I want to hear it. And don't give me any of the 'it's classified' excuses"

"Nothing to tell Deeks. Although I was wondering why, if my partner is back, am I landed with you"

"Hetty must have realised you were missing working close to me" he smirked

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that"

"Seriously though, you and Kensi were paying a lot of attention to him and little Nell. Do you know something juicy"

"Nope. I was just looking to see his reaction to Hetty giving the orders, after being his own boss for months"

"Hmmm. Maybe I'll have to ask Kensi"

"Concentrate Deeks. You can go back to fantasy land, as soon as we get down to San Diego and help them find the stolen weapons"

Sam pushed his foot harder down on the accelerator, desperate to reduce the time he had to spend listening to the obviously delusional detective

…..

Callen, Kensi and Nell were looking around warehouses in an area that had been indicated by a suspect, as being a staging point for militia supporters.

Their back up was still at least half an hour away, So Callen and Kensi were trying to check each warehouse as quickly as possible to check all the empty warehouses in the indicated area before any further suspects to clear out.

It was approaching 3pm, and they were all eager to get finished as soon as possible, the atmosphere in the car had been uncomfortable to say the least since neither Callen nor Nell were speaking to one another. As they approached one of the last 3 warehouses, Callen spotted a number of battered vans that he verbally indicated as being suspicious. Still being far enough away to not have given away their presence to the suspects, he stopped the car and got out to get ready. Kensi knew what to expect and followed his lead in getting tactically ready. She was trying to be subtle about how they were to protect Nell. Both knew that Hetty hadn't intended for Nell to actually be in any danger, but she was armed and should be able to protect herself. Callen knew what Kensi was hinting at, and while he prepared himself, he failed to put on his bullet proof vest. Both he and Kensi got back into the car, he turned to face Nell and handed her his vest.

"Put this on. Keep your Head down, and stick to Kensi's six" He turned around and restarted the car, driving into the warehouses yard , but leaving the car positioned to block the exit.

The three got out the car and entered the building, all around for shooters… Callen indicated to Kensi and Nell to head to the eastern end of the building while he would take the western end.

As he moved in to the furthest away room in the building, he heard a nose from behind him, turning to check it himself he was hit over the back of the head, and fell to the ground with a thud.

"So, are you and Callen going to bury the hatchet or what?" Kensi asked after clearing another room

"How can you bury it, when you don't know what caused it"

Kensi stopped and turned to face Nell and block her from moving further down the hall

"You know he cares. I know he cares. And I don't like seeing either of you hurting like this"

"I appreciate your concern. But I'm not the one that's caused any hurting. So can we get a move on?"

"Fine, but I'll say one thing to you, that Sam would kill me if he knew I told you. But it's his fault, at least in part, that Callen reacted the way he did" Kensi turned and moved down the hall to start clearing the next rooms

"What dya mean Kens" Nell called after her

"Sam told me that Callen had asked about me. and Sam may have mentioned about us talking about some guy that you were being secretive about" We think that he sent you away, as a means to send you back to this person"

"That's ridiculous. The only Guy I spoke to you about was…. Oh. But that doesn't really explain why he changed overnight."

Kensi kept moving down the hall, clearing rooms and when they had been cleared turning back to face Nell to respond.

"Nell. Sam and I can guess… but the only way you're going to know for sure is to talk to him. He can't avoid you now that he's back here… you work together"

…..

Callen woke up with everything really fuzzy like he had been drinking too much. But he also had a pounding headache that made it harder for him to get his vision into focus, and he found that he was bound to what he guessed to be a chair. He could just about make out a silhouette in front of him, that talking at him

"How did you know to look here, who told you we were here…. answer, or your friends will be harmed"

Hearing the Irish accent, he jerked his head up, trying to focus on the person speaking, trying to discern if it was a genuine threat or just a bluff

"Yes, we know you are here with two others. I have someone watching them. Now tell me who told that we were here" the man speaking sounded quite angry and irritated that Callen wasn't complying as quickly as he would like.

"Don't know what you're talking about. I was just looking for a place to be alone"

"We did check your wallet… Mr Callen. Now who told you that we were here. If you don't answer my questions quickly enough we will hurt you, if you don't answer at all… we will hurt your friends"

Callen's vision focused enough for him to get a good look at his interrogator. He looked to be a late 30s/early 40s White male, wearing smart trousers and shirt and holding a radio in one hand, and what looked to be his own Service weapon

"Ok. I'll be straight with you…. I was looking for somewhere to hold a private party"

"Wrong answer" The man walked towards Callen, and aimed the gun at his thigh "How did you know were here"

"Your Mom told me last night" Before Callen had even finished speaking the man fired a round grazing Callen's thigh. Callen started groaning in pain, not wanting to scream out in pain as the man would probably like.

"You got maybe another 2 shots in you, before we go to 'put down' either of those girls. Would be a real shame to waste an opportunity to have some fun with them… ah hell, we can have our fun and then 'put them down'… So I ask again WHO told you we were here.

Callen knew that Kensi or Nell would have to have heard some noise from the shot, it would just be a matter of time till someone headed in his direction. But he was also well aware of the fact that he didn't know just how many other men were in the warehouse that could target the girls.

"Ok. I'll tell you" he groaned "I'll tell you who told us, if you guarantee my friends safety"

"That's a nice idea Mr Callen. But I think we both know that you blocked the gate when you got here. So try again"

"I have the keys. You take me with you, leave them alone… and I'll tell you whatever you want to know"

The man seemed to be giving it serious consideration

"Is your car tracked?"

"Nope. Only thing tracked is the phone. Do we have a deal" he stated more than asked, knowing that he only had a finite length of time before he bled out, and after that point he would be no use to Kensi or Nell, and so long as he was with these guys Eric would be able to track him with overwatch.

"We have a deal. But you back out on this, and we'll come back, and take our time tearing them apart.

…..

"Did you hear that?, It sounded like a shot"

"Follow me, quickly, You see anything move, shoot first, ask questions later"

Nell nodded at Kensi, agreeing to do as instructed

By the time they got over to the other end of the warehouse there was no one there, Kensi's car had been taken and the panel vans had been set alight. Kensi grabbed her phone and dialled OPS… asking Eric to track Callen, as he wasn't responding on the radio.

Eric responded saying that he had traced his phone to the warehouse, to the back-end of the western end.

Kensi and Nell ran to where his phone had been traced, but when they got there, all they found was a seat surrounded by a puddle of blood.

Once again pulling out her phone, Kensi dialled Eric, telling him to find her car, and update Sam. Then she dialled Sam to update him, especially since neither she or Nell had any means of trying to follow.

"We were searching a warehouse on Cabot Drive, we split up to check it… heard a shot, and Callen and the car are gone"

"…."

"No his phone is here. Don't bother coming for us, chase after them, and make it quick… We think Callen has been injured pretty badly, judging by the blood on the floor here"

Ending the call, Kensi turned to Nell… noticing that she seemed particularly disturbed by the pool of blood

"Hey, He'll be ok." She patted Nell on one of her shoulders "He's the luckiest bastard alive when it comes to wounds"

…..

".. Yeah you should be seeing the car in a minute or two, they are just over a mile ahead of you" Eric spoke over the phone

"Ok. Eric. Keep us updated"

Sam pushed the accelerator hard to the floor, to catch up to the car, that they suspected contained Callen. Weaving back and forward from one lane to the other, they managed to get close enough to see the car. But Sam wasn't willing to sit back and tail them indefinitely, he forcing his way through the traffic until he was directly behind the car.

"Stick your head out the window and take a shot at their mirror" Sam told Deeks

Knowing the severity of the situation he said nothing and did as he was asked. Managing to hit the passenger side mirror with his first shot, he pulled his head back inside the car to watch the car weave about as the driver tried to work out what had happened

The car accelerated away from them for a moment before Sam did the same as he chased after them.

The car managed to get ahead of Sam, leaving 2 cars between them, until the driver of the car slammed his brakes on, causing the cars behind him to do the same. Deeks jumped out of the Challenger and moved towards the suspects car. By the time he had got close enough to get a clear look at the car or its passengers, he heard a gun shot and then the car pulled away again with one door being slammed. Getting a clear view of where car had been, he saw a body had been dumped.

He ran over to the body, shouting back to Sam to come up to where he was, dialled OPS and advised Eric to get paramedics to their location and get local PD to chase down the Car.

Looking down he could see the blood escaping from an abdomen wound, Sam ripped off one of his sleeves to put pressure on the wound

"Yo. G.. Don't you close your eyes. Focus here… Focus on me. You're not done yet" Sam spoke to his partner

"Are they Ok. Nell and Kensi, are they ok" Callen asked, spitting up blood as he asked, his voice weak and pained

"They're ok. Their Safe. Keep your eyes open partner, we're getting you help"

…..

#19

Sam and Deeks were seated in a hospital waiting room, waiting for a doctor or a nurse to tell them something… to let them know how Callen was. Sam heard a door opening and lifted his head to see if it was a doctor, it wasn't, it was Kensi and Nell being escorted in by an uniformed police officer. Kensi moved to Sam and asked what the news was

"He was being taken into surgery. Been shot in the abdomen, and looked like he might have been shot in the thigh"

"Any word on the suspect?" She asked, trying to concentrate on the investigation

"Nah. Hetty has requested help from the local field office, Local PD were asked to provide protection for when Callen gets out of surgery. IF he gets out of surgery" Sam sighed

"You and Deeks stay here and watch G. and keep an eye on Nell. I'm going go find the dead man who did this" He moved to leave the waiting room, when he felt someone grab his arm from behind, he turned his head to find Nell

"I'm not waiting here. I'm going with you" Nell said looking into his eyes, making sure he knew she was telling him what was happening.

"Ok. You keep your head down, ok. Last thing I want is G blaming me if anything happens to you"

Nell simply listened and followed him out to the car

"… Okay Eric, when was it last spotted?"

"Last spotted turning off of the 54 onto the 125 south. Looks like they could be making a run to the border"

"Okay Eric. Let us know if anything changes"

Sam kept driving, trying to gain ground on the suspect.

Every so often when he would check his mirror, he would look at Nell, trying to work out why she had wanted to chase after these guys, rather than stay back at the hospital. It was bothering him, and the fact that she had said next to nothing since leaving the hospital was worrying him

"You wanna tell me why you wanted to come with me. Why you really wanted to come with me?"

She was still wearing her bulletproof vest, and was looking down at the Glock she held in her lap. Looking away from her weapon for a moment to face him

"I didn't want to sit in another hospital, waiting to hear if he was ok" she answered softly. "And I wasn't willing to let someone else catch the guy that did it" she added with more energy and aggression

"You know I get that feeling, I do. But you can't let that feeling take control of you. We need to catch the people responsible, not kill them"

He returned all his focus to the road, trying to catch them, before they reached the border"

…..

"Hey Kens, do you have any idea why Nell would want to go after the guy that shot Callen, with Sam?"

"I dunno, I think you would need to ask her that question"

"Okay" he paused for a moment "Why were you and Sam paying so much attention to Callen and Nell this morning?"

"I can't speak for Sam, but I was just watching for his reactions about his first day back"

Deeks paused to consider what she had told him before asking another question

"So, it was nothing to do with them working together, when they have a thing?"

"No. There is no thing between them" she answered as innocently as she could

"Yeah, like we had no thing" he muttered under his breath

…..

"Yeah, How far ahead of us are they now Eric?"

"about 5 miles ahead of you, they seem to be sticking to the speed limits, so you should be able to catch up to them"

They had managed to catch up to the car, thanks to some almost race car driving by Sam. Watching the traffic behind them, and with Eric having advised that the road ahead of them was relatively clear, They agreed to make their move.

Sam pulled out ahead of the car till they had a substantial lead on Kensi's car, applied the brakes and manoeuvring the Challenger so that it came to a stop, blocking both lanes of the road. Sam hadn't even managed to get his safety belt off, yet Nell had already gotten out of the car and positioned herself on the road as she lifted her weapon taking aim at the approaching car.

…..

Kensi pulled out her phone and answered it without checking who it was

"Hello?"

"Ms Blye, Has there been any update on Mr Callen?"

"Last we heard anything, he was still in surgery. Have you heard anything from Sam yet?"

"No, Not yet. Please call me if you hear anything"

Hetty cut the call off from her end

"She hear anything?" Her partner asked

"Nope. Sam should have been able to catch the guys by now, unless they somehow had enough of a lead to make it across the border, which I doubt." Kensi looked down at her phone, not knowing what she should actually do. Not being able to do anything to help Callen, and not being able to help catch the guys that had shot him, left her sitting with nowhere to go and nothing to do

Getting up from her seat, she turned to face Deeks

"I'm gonna grab a coffee, do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good. I'll come with you"

She put her hand in front of him "No, one of us should be here if there's any news" and the turned and walked away.

She didn't want Deeks, or anyone else for that matter, to see her upset, especially since she would probably end up tearing up a bit

Deeks sat and watched her leave the waiting room. She had been full of energy since she got home from Afghanistan, but she seemed even less emotional than she had been before. But this was different, Callen had helped train her, he was like a brother to her (so was Sam though), and he knew that if anything was going to 'break' her… it would be something like this happening to either of the Agents.

He pulled out his phone and called OPS, hoping that Eric would have some news, any news for that matter

"Eric, Its Deeks. Anything new, anything from Sam or Nell yet?"

"Last they called in, they were catching up to Kensi's car. But their phone signal has them stationary on the 125 about 10 miles from Otay Mesa"

"Okay. So…" but before Deeks could finish talking Eric put him on hold.

Deeks sat on hold for almost 2 minutes before Eric took him off hold

"They got them. Their on their way back to you with the suspects. Should be back with you in about 30 or 40 minutes"

Deeks left the waiting room to find Kensi, she would be glad to know that the shooter/s had been taken into custody. He knew Callen was hardy enough to survive being shot, it had happened often enough that he couldn't imagine that he wouldn't survive this time. If only he could say something to Kensi to help her believe it too.

…..

It was over an hour before Sam got back to the hospital, and returned to the waiting room, finding Kensi and Deeks almost exactly where he had left them.

"How's G?"

"He's out of surgery, but their not saying anything else"

Kensi answered, before Deeks could open his mouth.

"Nell bringing my car back?"

Sam smirked, not expecting Kensi would see the humour in what he was going to tell her

"No" he stopped to chuckle a little "The car had to be towed back home"

Kensi stared back at him

"Do not tell me that you shot my car"

"I promise, I did not shoot your car. Nell on the other hand… well I'll let her tell you"

"Is this gonna be good. Should I go get popcorn?" Sam and Kensi both looked at Deeks with deadpan expressions on their faces

Nell walked in, and sat across from Deeks

"What did you do to my car Nell?"

"I shot it to get the guy to stop. He did."

Sam decided to explain what had happened, to take the pressure off of Nell.

He explained that they had passed the car, and gained a lead on them. He explained that he had braked and used the Challenger to block both lanes, and how Nell was out and positioned with her Weapon before he could even get out of his seat.

Explaining that as soon as the car was close enough for them to see, Nell had fired 2 rounds into the centre of the windscreen, causing the driver to swerve in reaction, That when the car pulled to a stop mere feet from where they were standing, Nell and he had moved to the either side of the car and targeted the men as they opened the doors. Nell got lucky and saw the driver pulling a weapon on them, and how she had shot him in the shoulder, causing him to lose grip of his gun. Sam managed to disarm the passenger without having to fire a shot, in his opinion, Nell having shot the mans colleague, made him more agreeable to surrendering.

"The driver and passenger were picked up by local police, and are gonna be transferred back to the boatshed for us, once they finish getting patched up, Gives Eric a chance to find out who they are." Sam informed Kensi and Deeks

"But when we interrogate them, It's me and Deeks. The driver made some comment about how they should have shot You and Nell, when they had the chance."

…..

"What Sam said in there, is that true? 'cause that just doesn't sound like you"

"More or less. If Sam hadn't stopped me, I would probably have done more just shoot him in the shoulder"

"Nell… That just doesn't sound like you. What were you thinking, your smarter than that" Kensi looked at Nell, waiting for her response "Come on, you can talk to me… you know that"

"It was personal. He tried to take out one of us… one of you... I wasn't going to let him get away" she paused to take a breath "Sam told me that we're not here to kill them, that we were here to catch them. And I know that's right, but when it's someone you know, that they have hurt… I almost wasn't able to do the right thing" her voice heavy with emotion

Kensi reach out, placing her hands on Nell's shoulders

"You did the right thing. And know that Deeks and I would have felt the same way, but Sam is right, we can't go out and make this sort of thing a personal vendetta. Plus, if you had of killed him, you would have had a huge pile of paperwork to fill in. Come on, we'll go and get a coffee, and see if we can find a donut for Deeks"

…..

"… I'm sorry I can't give you better news. If you leave a contact number at reception, someone will call you if there is a change in his condition"

Sam looked at where the doctor had been standing, thinking over what he had been told.

It wasn't good news, but it wasn't bad news either, but he still didn't want to have to be the one that told the others. He knew the best bet was to tell Hetty, and let her fill in the others.

"Mr Hanna, Any news about Mr Callen?" his diminutive boss answered the call with

"The doc here says they've put him in an induced coma. Reckons they'll keep him in it for a couple of weeks, even then, it'll be a few weeks before he will be fit to be discharged"

"Very Well. Bring everyone home, we can deal with the paperwork in the morning. 10am will be fine" and she ended the call.

Sam returned to the waiting room to gather everyone together so they could head home. He didn't feel right about leaving G, but since he had the only functioning car available to them at the time, he had no choice. They could make arrangements for someone to come down and sit with him at the weekends.

"What's the word on Callen" Deeks asked

Moving closer to the entire group he started telling them everything the doctor had said, and instructions from Hetty. Kensi and Nell looked to be the most shocked by Callen's condition, Deeks just said nothing, with no emotional expression on his face.

After leaving a contact number at reception, He guided them all out to the Challenger and started the drive back up to LA.

Kensi watched Sam pull onto the highway, and could see Deeks had managed to doze off to sleep. She turned to face Nell and whispered to her

"You ok. You've not said anything since the hospital"

"Yeah. I'm fine" She sounded emotionless, and showed no emotional facial expression

"You know, there's nothing wrong with being concerned about him. No matter what's gone on between you, you're still friends and colleagues"

"Kens, we caught who did it. We have that to focus on. Anyway he's in the best place for him right now"

Kensi didn't say anything else to her friend for the rest of the drive, she was worried about the lack of emotion that Nell was displaying. But she couldn't force her to talk, she resigned herself to be there when Nell did want to talk about it all.

…..

Everyone was gathered in the bull pen discussing their current case,

"Ms Jones, a word" Hetty said walking past them towards her office

"Is this you gonna get in trouble for trashing Kensi's car?" Deeks asked, followed by Kensi punching Deeks on the arm, to let him know to shut up

"You wanted to see me Hetty?"

"Yes. I've just finished going over the reports from your case in San Diego. I'm wondering if your actions were appropriate in the apprehension of Mr O'Brian and Torres. Given the fact that you captured them, I would think your actions were justified. However our Assistant Director may not feel the same way once the reports pass through his office."

"I think I followed regulations. I don't feel I put myself or anyone else in undue danger, and we caught them."

"I know all that. What I need to know is if you firing your weapon into Mr O'Brian's shoulder was professional or personal. We can all, myself especially, admit that sometimes we react differently in a situation when the person we are seeking has harmed a friend, colleague or family member. Did you shoot him because you were seeking revenge, or did you shot him as you had no other choice"

Nell stood silently for a minute, thinking if she had followed protocol, or if she let her emotions get the better of her.

"Hetty, if I was seeking retribution against him, I would have shot him somewhere that would make him bleed out. I know that I'm not really a field agent, but I still know right and wrong"

"Very good. You can rejoin your colleagues, and get back to work

…..

"Hey, Kensi… you've spoken with Nell, right?"

"Sure, what makes you ask?"

"She's been quite withdrawn. Normally when we're working we talk or joke, but the last few days, she doesn't even work at the workstation next to mine. It's like she wants to be alone"

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about Eric. It's just been a tough week, for us all"

"Thanks Kensi"

Leaving OPS to go down to the gym, Kensi was more than a little worried about her friend. She didn't know if it was being forced back into the field, if it was having to shoot someone, or if it was because their team leader had been shot.

The interrogation of the 2 men Sam and Nell had caught, had been interesting to watch. A lot of bravado, from O'Brian… While Torres seemed terrified, and full of regret for his actions.

Torres volunteered whatever information he knew, which wasn't much, but seemed to appreciate just how severe a situation he was in.

O'Brian spent hours trying to goad Sam and Deeks into hitting him, or simply trying to piss them off by making yet more threats against Kensi and Nell, even going so far as insulting Sam by suggesting he needed Nell to protect him. Sam and Deeks didn't bite, they got angry, but didn't let O'Brian see it.

After 4 hours working on O'Brian, they retired to take a break. It was right then that Granger appeared in the boatshed, suggesting that they try something different. This was probably one of the few times that Sam didn't feel the urge to hit him.

Following Grangers lead, he followed him back into the interrogation room and stood behind him, letting Granger lead a new phase of the interrogation.

Threats were made about just how much time he would be facing, for the theft and sale of US military weapons, Grand Theft Auto, and Assault or Attempted murder of a US Federal Agent. When that failed to elicit the desired response, Granger sat back in his seat and stared O'Brian down.

"You don't feel threatened by Myself or Agent Hanna. How about we try someone who you will be afraid of. Agent Hanna, would you ensure that Mr O'Brian is secured to his seat… for his own safety"

Sam did exactly as instructed, Making sure that his legs and solitary good arm were cuffed to the seat, and made sure the seat was still secured to the floor.

Nodding to Granger, letting him know that they were ready to proceed

"Agent Hanna and I are going to leave the room now. The cameras, and microphones will be turned off, and you can feel free to say whatever you like… I would suspect that it probably won't be an issue for her. O'Brian watched and Sam and Granger left the room, with Nell entering the room and securing the door

"Oh really. You think she's gonna be making me talk"

"No. I don't expect you to talk to me. I will expect you to talk to my Gun"

Despite what Granger had told O'Brian, the surveillance was still on, But Sam, Deeks, Kensi and Granger stood watching what was going on in the interrogation room with great interest.

"You wouldn't really let her shoot him would you"

"I would Detective. But there are still limits to how far I'll let this go. She only has 3 rounds"

As it turned out O'Brian blinked first. Nell made several threats to him about his family and mistresses, and their residence in the US, Then intentionally fired and grazed his uninjured arm. Elbowed him in the face, causing his nose to bleed. However, as soon as Nell pointed the gun towards his groin, he suddenly got talkative… spouting everything about who he had dealt with, how often and who got paid off. Just as Nell had turned to leave the room he said quite possibly the worst thing it was possible to say to her, "I should have had your Mr Callen shot in the head, instead of the gut".

Nell froze a hand on the door, Before Sam, Deeks, Kensi and Granger knew what was happening, Nell had spun round and pressed the barrel to his forehead

"You mean like I'm going to do to you!"

Kensi and Sam rushed into the interrogation room, to take the gun from Nell, and to drag her out of the room, kicking and screaming at O'Brian.

…..

#20

"Deeks, just get a lift back with Sam ok. We'll meet you back at OPS"

Kensi closed the car door and started the car, and pulled out of the boatshed's parking area.

Watching the road, she started speaking to Nell

"So, that was interesting. You weren't actually going to shoot him in the head, were you?"

Nell didn't answer, she just continued looking down at her hands in her lap

"Nell. Come on, Granger can make a big deal out of this, you need to know what not to say"

"I would have… I was going to. And I would have done the same thing if it had been you, Sam, Deeks or Eric that he said that about" Nell answered in a quieter voice than normal

"So that's all this was. Just fear, or protection about others. It had nothing to do with Callen being the one in the hospital… again?"

Nell didn't answer, but Kensi suspected she knew what her answer would have been

"You know that you're going to have to deal with this. Whether it's now, or when he gets out of the hospital"

"There's nothing to sort Kensi"

"Nell, you know what Sam said in the hospital, you know the threats made against us, you know what Callen was most concerned with when Sam and Deeks got to him. So don't tell me there is nothing to sort out. You obviously still have non platonic feelings for him. And he… well he's him. I thought you would have figured out why he changed"

"You know I love you Kens, but you don't know what you're talking about with this"

"Really… He was jealous. He didn't want to pursue you because he thought you had someone back here. So he pushed you away. If he didn't still care for you why did he give you his vest"

Nell lifted her head, almost as if a light bulb in her brain just lit up, she could finally understand everything

…..

Sam had been sitting at Callen's bed for 2 hours. Despite knowing that Callen couldn't hear him, he continued telling him everything that had been happening at work.

"Granger actually did something right for a change. Well maybe not morally right. He pulled us out of the room that the guy that took you hostage was in, and sent Nell in, by herself.. well she had a gun. I swear, for the first time I can remember, I was more afraid of Nell than I would have been of Hetty. She only got him to give up Intel after she pointed the pistol at the guys balls. When she was about to leave, he said something that was just really stupid, and she put the gun to his head. I honestly believe she would have pulled the trigger if Kens and I hadn't pulled her away."

He took a sip of water, before continuing

"You know you need to make it back to us. You've a mess to sort out with Nell, and I don't want to have to keep working with Deeks. Don't get me wrong, he's good at the job, but he talks almost non stop, most of it still being 90% nonsense. And Kensi... you know how she drives, you surely don't wanna force me into a situation where I have to let her drive me would ya. Who am I kiddin, you'd stand and laugh at me. Your doctor here says they're gonna keep you in your coma for like another week, give your body time to heal, and to stop you ripping any stitches, I didn't know they knew you that well" he chuckled "But yeah, we're all missing ya"

He spent another hour telling Callen about other stuff going on at work, and then about what had been going on at home

"So how's G doing?"

"The doctors still have him in a coma, but they think he is improving"

"The kids are wondering when they can see uncle G"

"I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I want them to see him like this. But I'm guessing he will be back home in a few of weeks, They can maybe see him then. I'm just about to leave here, so I'll be home in a couple of hours. Love ya baby"

Sam put his phone back in the pocket, and thought about where he had parked the car. He was glad to know his partner was improving, but he wasn't looking forward to him waking up, he would be on the phone every 10 minutes to ask Sam to pick him up.

…..

Hetty had gathered the team in OPS to make an announcement

"Mr Hanna, You and Ms Blye have done great work chasing down the last suppliers and last buyers of Mr O'Brian's stolen weapons. Director Vance is very pleased that you have all been able to complete this operation so rapidly. Now, to other business. I've been contacted by Mr Callen's doctor down in San Diego. I've been advised that he has regained consciousness, and I have requested that he be transferred to a local hospital. Mr Hanna, can you collect his Go bag from his locker. Ms Jones, I want you to go with Mr Hanna to San Diego, and travel back with Mr Callen. After that you may all finish early, and go home"

As soon as he thought Hetty was out of earshot Deeks asked

"Why did I not get a thanks for helping solve the weapons case. I was involved"

Hetty's face appeared on the large screen in front of him

"Because you were not involved in location and neutralisation of the buyers and sellers. Ms Blye and Mr Hanna were"

The screen returned to black

"How does she keep doing that" Sam, Kensi and Eric laughed at him, while Nell sat transfixed at the computer screen in front of her.

Kensi told Eric, Sam and Deeks that she would catch up with them shortly, and sat down next to Nell.

"You ok about seeing Callen?"

"Yeah, Sure. It's part of the job"

"Nell… This is what you need, a chance to actually talk about this with Callen. Whether it is just to clear the air, or to move ahead as whatever"

"What am I meant to say Kens. If I hadn't have been there he would have been wearing his vest, and maybe wouldn't have been shot"

"Even if he had been wearing the vest, they could have taken it off of him and shot him anyway. Just talk about it with him. It'll do you good"

…..

"Please understand that while he is conscious, due to the pain killers he is receiving, he may not fully be aware of what he's saying"

Sam and Nell watched the doctor walk away from them

"So there anything you would want to ask him, that he wouldn't normally answer" Nell asked Sam

"Michelle just wants to know why he didn't call Joelle back. She couldn't very well ask him, since he wasn't coming by the house"

Nell smiled and looked at the floor

"I could answer that one"

"I'll give Michelle your number then. You wanna go sit with him, I'll go and grab us a coffee"

Nell stood looking toward the bed Callen was in, as Sam walked away to grab the drinks. It would be easier to be around him while he wasn't fully aware of what was going on around him.

She sat down at the bedside and watched as he moved his head about as if it was full of helium gas. And then with no other interactions he turned his head to look directly at her

"You shouldn't have come"

Nell was taken a back, at how he had one minute looked as if he was high on the morphine, and then he seemed to be completely lucid.

"Why not" she eventually answered

"I'm no good. Best you focus your efforts on someone that's not a wasted cause"

Nell looked down at her lap and smiled a sad smile

"Is that how you see yourself. Really see yourself. If you're such a wasted cause, how did you end up here"

"I sacrificed myself to make sure that you and Kensi wouldn't be harmed. Made sure they would be hunted down"

"You're an idiot"

"Seems to be the opinion of more than just you"

Nell smiled and shook her head at that.

"Sam'll be back shortly. He was going to get us something to drink before you get taken back to LA"

"Did you volunteer to be here, or did 'she' send you"

Nell knew that 'she' meant Hetty

"Hetty told me to come"

Before he could say anything more the doctor returned to the bedside and without explaining anything he injected something into the IV line, then turned round and left

Callen dropped his head back onto the pillow like it was too heavy to hold up any longer

"You know, you wounded me" he muttered

Nell was shocked at this, How could she have wounded him, he was a bigger than she was, he was more proficient with firearms and self defence.

"I never did anything to you, how did I wound you?"

It took him at least a minute to respond

"You…. You, didn't. you're with someone, I can't be… around you. Not being… able to … do anything… with how I've…. felt for a while, causes me more pain than any bullet or knife ever will" he just about managed to mumble before his eyes closed

"So the doc says they're gonna get him ready to be moved. Should only take em a half hour. Then we can be on our way. You're going to go with him in the ambulance, I'll be following right behind you" He looked over at her, noting the blank expression she had on her face "You ok?"

She looked up at him "Yeah. He … said something that kind of shocked me"

"Do I need to punch him?"

Nell smiled at him "No, you don't have to hit him"

"In that case then, come on and have your drink while they sort him out"

…..

#21

He opened his front door, hearing the cab pull away from the kerb, the house looked the same as it had when he was last here.

He closed the door behind him, and walked to the bedroom, using the wall to support him.

He didn't even try to pretend that he wasn't still in pain, and wasn't still tired from the journey from the hospital. He knew he could have called Sam to give him a lift, but if he had Sam would have moaned about him signing himself out of the hospital against medical advice. Hospitals and Doctors were just a necessary evil, a means to be partially healed to the point that you could move about on your own, beyond that, they should be avoided at all costs

Flopping down on the bed, he looked at the ceiling trying to decide what to do now… he didn't want to stay in bed for longer than he already had. He wanted to return to work, but Hetty would probably refuse to let him return to the field, which would land him with either analysis or catching up on his paperwork. The question was which was the lesser of two evils

He could hear someone knocking at the door, he didn't think he had even been home for more than a few minutes, even so he staggered out of the bedroom to the door. He took a breath, expecting that whoever it was, it was probably going to involve raised voices, guilt and professional threats.

Before he had managed to fully open it he was pushed back, and in walked Sam

"What took you so long, I been standing out there for almost 5 minutes"

"It wasn't that long, and even if it was… my speed may have been impaired by the hole in my gut. What you doing here anyway" he asked his partner

"Well, it was either gonna be me, or it would have been Hetty. I have a better smile" He paused to smile at Callen "Seriously though, why did you sign yourself out"

"Seriously. We need to have this conversation again?. Sam, I could not sit in that bed for a minute longer."

"Ok. I guess your way is easier. Do ya need any groceries, I'm guessing you're not gonna be up to a long walk to the shops for a while"

"I could probably do with some fresh milk and juice. You ok to give me a lift?"

"Sure thing. If you're sure you can manage to walk out to the kerb" he smirked at his partner

…..

"Mr Callen, Welcome back. I'm not sure you're fit to return to active duty. However you are welcome to sit at your desk and complete your outstanding paperwork"

"Like I didn't see that coming. I'll be over there, filling it out" he said pointing to his desk"

He purposefully gone to office late in the day, so he wouldn't have to deal with anyone else going on at him about having signed himself out of hospital. And as he had desired he was left alone, the only person he had seen was Hetty, even then she left an hour after he arrived.

He worked his way through the expected pile of paperwork, and then moved over to the couch to have a rest before he left to head home.

He woke up to find the building starting to be lit up from the light of the rising sun. He had slept much longer than he had intended, but there was no point going home now was there. Instead he stood up and felt about to make sure his would was still sealed. That done, he went to go have a shower.

Nell walked into the mission noticing a light had been left switched on in bullpen, she ignored it since someone must have forgotten to turn it off last night, and ran up stairs to switch all the computers back on in OPS.

Sitting down at one of the computer stations, she started the download of the daily Intel reports.

Just as he was walking down the stairs to go get herself a drink, she heard footsteps coming from the locker room. She froze… no one else should have been in yet, and the locals still didn't know that the building was in use. She reached for her gun and stood still, waiting for whoever it was, to reveal themselves.

The steps got closer and closer… then the jumped round and pointed the gun yelling "Drop your weapon and put your hands up"

"It's me Nell. Put your gun down, or do you want to give me another new hole in my body" there was a playful tone to his voice

"You Idiot. Why are you even here. You should still be in the hospital"

"I signed myself out against…"

Nell interrupted him before he could finish his sentence

"No, I know you signed yourself out. Who do you think passed the information to Hetty" She wasn't playing, she was genuinely angry

"If I'd stayed in there, I would have gone crazy and fired my gun. If I still had my gun"

"Yeah, that's down in the armoury. We got it back from Forensics last week. You want something to drink?"

Callen considered what she had said. "Sure. I'll follow you"

After taking a cup of tea, Nell put her cup down and looked at Callen

Callen looked back at her, almost like he was trying to work out a puzzle

"Is something wrong, it's just you're looking at me like… something"

"Nothings wrong, I didn't realise we were speaking again. I dreamt we were speaking. But it's been a long time since we've actually spoken"

Nell just stared at him "You spoke to me down in San Diego. You were pretty out of it. But we still spoke"

Callen looked like the rug had been pulled out from under him

"I told you that you wounded me" he admitted in shock, as he realized that had been for real, NOT a dream

Neither one of them knew what to say to the other, Nell even struggled to think of any random subject to mention, to end the awkward silence.

With nothing coming to mind, Nell got up and walked away, leaving her empty cup on the table.

…..

"So what's up that you didn't want to talk about at work"

Kensi looked at your younger colleague, she knew that her face betrayed her curiosity. It was part of the reason she agreed to go out for a few drinks with Nell on a Wednesday night

"I spoke to Callen yesterday"

"What's so unusual about that?"

"He spoke to me when he was in San Diego. Confessed a few things may be the better description"

Kensi couldn't hide the delight she felt at this revelation

"So what did he 'confess' then?"

"He said he thought he was a lost cause, and that I've hurt him. Not hurt him physically, but because he's had feelings for a while, that he couldn't or wouldn't act on. But yesterday he admitted that he thought telling me had been a dream.  
Should I be flattered or offended at that"

"I would be flattered if someone told me that he had a dream about me, where I was wearing clothes. But in your case, it's a good thing… he obviously wanted to tell you"

It took Nell a while to say anything else, as she analysed what Callen had told her, and what Kensi was telling her now

"What do I do now?, I ran away from him yesterday"

Kensi took a sip of beer

"Why not just go see him at home, or meet him at a bar if that's easier for you"

…..

She sat in her car for 10 minutes trying to build up the courage to go knock on his door. She had already turned the engine off, and was gripping the steering wheel so tightly, that she genuine worried she may damage it

Forcing herself to go to the door and knock, she got out of the car and walked to the door, locking the car door on the way.

She knocked on the door 3 times. It took great restraint to stop herself from running back to the car. She had been thinking about this all day at work, how she could ask her questions, how he could respond, whether he would be glad to see her, or would he even answer the door if he saw her walking down the path.

The door opened and there he stood, she hadn't been paying enough attention to notice the door being opened sooner

"Nell. What can I do for you?"

"I er.. I was wondering… could we talk, please"

He stepped back, and waved her inside

He had closed the door and sat down on his chair, Nell stood facing him, not having anything to sit on. How was she supposed to start this… what should she say first.

"So… what were you wanting to talk about?"

"Why did you give me your vest that day"

"Really. That's what you wanted to talk about" he shook his head with the beginnings of a smile creeping onto his face "You know why. I wasn't prepared to go in there and leave you unprotected"

Nell nodded her head, acknowledging that she believed that to be the truth

"You know we caught the guys that shot you"

"Yeah, Sam told me that"

Nell didn't know if Sam had told him the full story of what had transpired.

Both watched the other in silence for a few minutes, It was Callen that broke the silence first

"I've been thinking about stuff, and wanted you to know that I'm sorry for how I acted towards you. You deserved better that"

"yeah your right, I did. But I've heard some guys push women away, so they wouldn't have to deal with them when emotions are involved"

"Sounds like this person may have been pretty smart, and stupid at the same time.

You maybe…. Want to get something to eat?"

Nell simply nodded

…..

He had ordered some takeaway, and they had eaten it while having conversation about general goings on at work, the stupid things Deeks had been saying and how often Kensi had to hit him. Neither one knew how or if, they should guide the conversation round to whatever it was that was between them.

Callen had taken a couple of pain killers, and followed them with a swig of beer. He knew that ideally he shouldn't mix alcohol and pain killers, but he wasn't intending on drinking too much and he wasn't going to be driving any time soon anyway

"I missed you after you left the Seahawk, Maybe I'm just not as used to working alone anymore." His balance seemed to be impaired, and seemed to be more than a little groggy

"Callen. Maybe you should go lay down for a bit"

Nell wouldn't stay quiet, she grabbed hold of him and helped guide him to his bed. He flopped over onto the bed, and She pulled the quilt over him. She wondered when he had bought himself a quilt. She went back to the kitchen to put the light off and went to check on him before she left. Standing in the doorway she quietly said "sweet dreams" and turned to leave, only to be held back by Callen almost drunkenly begging her to stay

…..

When Callen woke up he felt his head pounding, there was some pain in his gut, and he couldn't remember how he got to bed.

Managing to roll out of bed and onto his feet, he staggered through to the lounge and into the kitchen. He could remember Nell being there the night before… she wasn't there now, had she left before he got to bed or after. He grabbed 2 paracetamol tablets and a glass of water to wash them down with. It wasn't an instant solution, but it would take the edge off.

He pulled himself together, ate something for breakfast, got wash and even shaved, It had been a long time since he could remember his face being fully shaved, he always seemed to keep his face covered in some stubble.

Knowing that it was already getting on for 0900, he called Sam to ask if he could pick him up. After finally convincing Sam that he could manage going into the office, he got changed and waited for his ride

This was the first time he was going into work during the normal working day, since he had been shot The first time he would see Kensi, Deeks and Eric. Kensi had (along with Sam) visited him in the hospital. But all they had spoken about was what they had been up to outside of work. At least now he would know what was going on, even if Hetty would restrict him from working in the field for now.

Sam had made the expected comments about him going back to work, made a few sly comments about him being clean-shaven. Otherwise they just fell back into their normal pattern of joking and insulting each others music or food tastes.

"You know it's not to late to go home man. You don't need to be here"

"If I stay at home for however long, how is that any different to being stuck in a hospital bed. At least being here, I can maybe be of some use"

"Yeah… or Hetty'll have you doing paperwork for days."

"Nope. Did all my outstanding paperwork the other night I came in after everyone was gone"

"You really need a hobby But you want to be stuck in OPS all day, that's up to you…. Or is that what you want. Stuck in OPS working with Eric…. And Nell" Sam smirked as they continued walking inside from the car park

Just seeing the building full of Agents and Support staff was a pleasing sight after laying in the hospital for weeks. The hive of activity was a welcome change of pace.

"If I'd known you were coming in, I'd have saved you a Donut" Kensi approached and embraced him as if it had been months since they had seen each other

"Good to see you too. So did Deeks help, or did you demolish the dozen by yourself"

Kensi just smiled back at him and shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey Callen. Didn't know you were due back" Callen looked up toward the upper level where he found Eric leaning on the railing, looking down at him

"Didn't know myself Eric. Anything happening?"

"Nothing yet. But it's still early"

He leaned back in his chair, feeling at ease, at least until Hetty summoned him to her office

"You completed your papers. You have no further use in this building until a physician advises us otherwise"

"Come on Hetty. I've spent more time on my back through injuries in the last 6 months than I had in the previous 4 years. There must be something I can do"

He ended up spending the day disassembling the various weapons in the armoury and cleaning then, before resembling them and testing them on the firing range.  
It was dull work, but far more interesting that staying at home , trying not to climb the walls.

Sam to see him later in the day, asking if he wanted a lift home Callen politely declined, saying he would get a taxi when he was ready, and would see him the next day.

Hetty came to check on him shortly after Sam left, almost as if she had only come to check on him at the urging of Sam

"You can finish for the day. I'm sure you've checked most of our arsenal"

"Just one thing left to do Hetty."

"And what would that be Mr Callen"

He stared at her "Get my SIG back I'm told it was here waiting for me"

Nothing else was said between them once she had lifted his weapon from one of the secure lockers. She wished him a good night and left him to his own devices.

He spent the next few hours doing the same for it, as he had done for the other weapons he had worked on that day. It was a source of great pride for him to have it back, as well as being therapeutic. 15 years ago, he would have never thought he would feel as though he was incomplete if he didn't have his gun, but he could cope with those feelings.

He was walking down the road from the Mission, hoping he could find a taxi cab. He was starting to wish that he had taken Sam up on his offer of a lift. He was still on a quiet road, so was understandably concerned when he could hear a car slowing and pulling over to the kerb behind him. He discreetly reached for his gun, just to be ready in case he had to defend himself

The vehicle behind him was still moving, creeping along slowly… followed by hearing an electric window lowering, That caused him to grip his gun tighter, ready to pull it out and aim it.

"You want a lift"

He recognised that voice, but didn't release the grip on the gun

"Or would you rather hobble your way home"

He released his grip and turned to face who was calling to him

"I can probably manage to walk"

"Don't be stubborn"

"I'm thinking about my own welfare Kens. I don't know that my body could handle the pressure of your driving technique" he replied in a playful tone, before getting into her car.

"So how was the first day back."

"Not bad. At least I know I can still fire a gun. What were you all working on"

"Not sure you would be you, if you couldn't. You would've loved it… Chasing CIs, and eating food in burger bars"

"And you didn't even bring me a burger back. I'm not sure I can be friends with you anymore Kens. I'm deeply offended"

Kensi took note of the cheeky smirk on his face, knowing that they were still ok

"You need to stop anywhere to grab anything"

"I'm ok. Sam took me to the grocery mart the other day. I appreciate the offers, but I'm not an invalid…"

"Not yet anyway" Kensi interrupted

"You coming with us tomorrow night. It can be a celebration that you've avoided the undertaker yet again"

"Sure thing. Going straight from work, or do you need to go home and put a dress on?"

"Ha Ha. Going straight from work. Deeks is paying…"

Callen turned to her before getting out her car

"So what was the bet?"

"Whether you would stay in hospital till they discharged you, or if you would sign yourself out"

Opening the door and getting out, he turned back to face her

"Who's all coming with?"

"Me, Sam, Eric, and a few of the support staff….."

He was almost disappointed

"Right, well I'll see you tomorrow"

He had just closed the door when Kensi lowered the window

"Nell's coming too. If that interests you"

With nothing else needing to be said, she closed the window and pulled away with a smile on her face

…..

Callen hadn't gotten much sleep that night, so he got up and got ready for work. Not having been provided with a car, he walked to the nearest bus stop so he could get to work.

It was barely 6am when he got into the Mission. Still in a fair amount of pain he couldn't work out, but he could still spend some time on the firing range to pass some time before starting to work on the remaining firearms in the armoury.

He had already cleaned it, and knew it was firing right, but it was something he could actually still do. Besides, it 'never hurts to practice your aim', he thought to himself.

His aim was still pretty good, he knew some of the pain he was feeling was due to bracing himself before he took each shot. He spent almost an hour firing at targets, knowing he would likely end up with Hetty requesting, no demanding that he pay for the ammunition he had used. But it was worth every dime, in his opinion

About 9am Sam had called his cell, asking him to get a move on so they wouldn't be late for work. Sam didn't actually sound that surprised when Callen told him he had made his own way in several hours previous. By the time Sam got into the office, Callen had already had a cup of tea waiting for him on his desk. After that he retreated back to the armoury to continue with his temporary duties, This kept him out-of-the-way of almost everyone but field agents collecting weapons for ongoing operations. He would have preferred to be in the field, even if he would have risked being in some amount of pain, but he had accepted that the choice was not his, he was lucky to even be allowed to carry out these duties, and so he tolerated the restriction placed on him, so long as he was not forced to stay home.

Sam approached his partner, who was hunched over a work bench working on a rifle "You coming to the Bar with us?, Kens said she invited you last night" he asked

"I Dunno. I think I'm maybe better off just going home"

"This is something new. G Callen turning down a free drink"

"Come on Sam. You're making me sound like an alcoholic"

"Come on. Come out for a few drinks, It's been too long as it is"

They had all been at the bar for a few hours, Callen had moved to sit at the bar, away from the other OSP staff after 3 bottles of beer.

Kensi looked over at his back, before turning to face Sam "What's up with Callen?"

"He hasn't exactly been working with us much lately. It'd be like introducing your partner to soap after he had been posing as a homeless guy"

"I resent that… I love getting washed after an operation" Sam and Kensi stared at him.

Sam was the first to make a comment. "Maybe you should try washing your hair next time"

Kensi stepped away before she burst into laughter. She sat down amongst Eric, Nell and a few of the other support staff to find that a few were just getting ready to head home. She sat and shared a few drinks with the remainder, talking about funny things she had seen or heard while working in the field. That lead to most of them sharing funny experiences, Kensi excused herself and walked over to sit along side Callen

"You know, we don't bite. We done something to bother you?"

"None of you've done anything. I've just been thinking about my future"

"It shouldn't be too long till Hetty lets you work in the field again"

"It's not that, not really. Just been thinking about if I should even keep working in the field. I mean, next time I get shot, or stabbed or whatever, I may not survive it. The way the agencies are going, I'm not much use if I try to work in a support position, I have no training or experience in those types of sectors"

"Are you actually thinking about leaving, or is this just because you're not where you want to be?"

Callen took a sip of his drink, and put the bottle back down "I dunno Kens. I guess we'll see how things pan out" and he got up and walked away.

When she got home Kensi sat down thinking about what Callen had said. He was important to her, the same as Sam was. Different to what Deeks meant to her, but important all the same.

Over the next few days it worked on her, she never spoke to Sam, Deeks or her Mom about it, she did everything that her work demanded of her, but it was forever on her mind.  
She could see how Sam and Deeks were looking at her, she knew they knew something was bothering her, but when they asked she blamed it on memories from her time in Afghanistan. They weren't the only ones to notice that something was bothering her, but some knew better than to ask, some seemed scared to ask her. Hetty had even cryptically asked if everything was alright, She knew she needed to speak to someone about it, but it couldn't be to Hetty… not about this.

She had remained seated at her desk, well into the evening. She thought she was alone by now, but she knew realistically that normally there were still people there.

"You ok Kens?"

She didn't even bother turning to face Nell

"Yeah. I'm just thinking about something my mom said"

"You want to talk about it or…. Not?"

"Nah. I'll be ok. That you headed home for the night?"

"Yup. See you in the morning ok"

After Nell had left, Kensi gathered her stuff and headed for her car. She needed to get her mind off of what Callen had said. If he wanted to leave, there was nothing she, or anyone else, could do.

…..

#22

"You ready to go kens?"

Hetty had made a change to how they were working, Deeks had been partnered with Sam, while Nell had been partnered with Kensi.

Sam had made his usual complaints about having Deeks work with him, which were followed by Sam warning Nell about Kensi's driving.

"Yeah. Good to go once you've taken your motion sickness pill"  
Kensi thought it was better to make light of what had been said about her, than to once again confirm that it bothered her

"I'm ready to go, so long as you're not going to say that I need a booster seat"

"Deeks, I take it, came up with that" It wouldn't surprise her to find out that was Deeks attempt at humour

"Not the first time I'd heard it. It doesn't bother me."

They moved out to the car and pulled out of the parking area, heading out to Venice

"Can I run something past you" Kensi asked Nell

"Run away"

"I have a friends I went through training with, that's thinking about leaving NCIS, and I don't know if I should say something to them, or just support whatever decision they make?"

"I suppose it depends on the person, and the situation. It would be better to jump rather than be pushed if they are in a bad position."

Nell paused and turn to face Kensi

"Are **_you_** thinking about leaving NCIS?"

"No I'm not. I'm still happy here. But If I'm considering leaving, I'll talk to you about it"

Nell nodded, and went back to sitting quietly

Before too long, Kensi asked her if she had spoken to Callen lately

"No. Not had much need to go down to the armoury, and he hasn't been up in ops. So even been in a position where we could talk, even if we wanted to"

"Is it that you don't have anything to say to each other, or that you don't have anything to say to him?"

Nell sighed and lowered her head, before deciding to tell Kensi about the last time they had talked

"…and then he just out of the blue, asked me to stay."

"Not sure I see why you're not talking to him then"

"I don't know why he asked, I don't know if it was due to the pills. How would you react if Deeks asked you the same?"

"We're not talking about me and Deeks though"

"Fine. I… I don't know what to expect from him. He says one thing, then does another. Ignores me, then makes it seem like he put himself in danger to protect me… you and me. I'm technically an analyst, and even I can't analyse 'all of that' and make sense of it"

Kensi mulled over what Nell had said, thinking about what she should or shouldn't say

"My friend… it's Callen" Nell quickly spun her head to look in Kensi's direction

"Well…." Nell didn't know how to finish her sentence

"We can pick this up later" Kensi moved her right hand back and forward between herself and Nell, after she had pulled over and put the car in park.

"You know, what we were talking about before… He isn't the easiest person to get to know, or work out. But in your case…. I genuinely believe he would be worth taking a chance on"

"No offense Kens, but maybe given your relationship with Marty, you're not the best person to talk to about this" she smiled impishly as she finished talking

"Yeah, You spent way too much time with Deeks while I was away"

…..

He had no sooner opened the door to her, than she walked into the house, pushing past him.

"Did you mean what you said that night we were out at the bar?"

"About leaving NCIS?. The thought has occurred to me"

"Is it just because of the fear of health or death, the future. Or is it something more personal"

Callen sighed, unsure of how to explain.

"When I found out who I was after waking up in the hospital with parts of my memory missing, I gave serious thought to resigning. But I knew there must have been some reason I stayed here longer than any other agency. But when I came back here after the Seahawk, I had to try and combine the thoughts, memories, feeling etc of normal me, and amnesia me. Now, I just don't know if I can realistically stay here, working with people I hurt, ignored or whatever else"

"You really are stupid aren't you. You, Me, Sam, Deeks, Sam, Hetty and Nell… we're family. We make mistakes, but we're not meant to knowingly abandon each other. Whatever you say, or do… You just have to explain it, and let the other person , or persons, understand your position. Come on, I could do with a drink… and some company"

With no other words exchanged Callen followed her

"Seriously… the look on his face when she pointed the gun at his balls. It was so good I practically begged Eric for a copy of the recording"

"Nah… I don't believe that. Defend herself, sure. Threaten to shoot a guy in the plumbs, No"

"I'm serious…. As if that wasn't enough she put the gun to his head, and she really looked like she was goin to pull the trigger"

"Kens, really…. What reason would she have to do either of those"

Kensi stared at him as he took a sip of his drink

"I thought that you were a good investigator. Able to work things out based on circumstances and/or evidence" She watched him trying to figure it out, finding a result and then ignoring it and starting over again, leading him back to not understanding it

"Right, I give in…. I'll buy the next 2 rounds if you tell me the answer"

"Make it 3, and you've got a deal"

Callen returned from the bar with the first of his rounds

"So explain it to me then?"

"You really still don't understand it do you!"

"No, I'm only a man" He hoped that would amuse her enough to giver him the answer

"It may have had something to do with the fact that he was one of the guys responsible for shooting you" he still looked confused "She wanted vengeance for almost killing you"

"you sure you're fit to drive?, I mean you can take my bed, and ill go back to the floor. In fact that's what's happening, I'm not letting you take the risk" He grabbed her keys and guided her inside.

"Besides" he continued "This way I might actually get a donut for a change"

Going into the bedroom, he grabbed his bed room and moved it into one of the other rooms to give Kensi some privacy.

"So…. Got yourself a bed AND a quilt. Must be all that time away at sea"

"Don't think, that I don't know that you know where I got the bed. But the quit was all my idea if you must know. Anyway, the bathroom is just down the hallway, and you know where the kitchen is if you need something to drink during the night. " He left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Having got changed, and managing to lower himself onto his bedroll with a fair amount of pain, he lay back staring at the ceiling thinking over everything Kensi had told him tonight.

He still couldn't believe that Nell would have actually tried to take vengeance on someone for shooting him. Knowing that made him all the more sure that he needed to actually talk with Nell soon, whether he was going to remain at NCIS or not.

…..

#23

"You're in late G"

Sitting down at his desk, before seeking out Hetty to see what he was getting to do today, He turned to face his partner.

"Yeah, well we had to stop for donuts"

"Which 'we' are we talking about here G" his partner questioned

"Kensi gave me a lift in. It was the only I was going to get a donut"

"Your place not a bit out-of-the-way for Kens to go before coming here?"

"Not really, she stayed at my place since we were out getting a few drinks. No way I was gonna let her try to drive home. Her drivings dangerous enough when she's had nothing but coffee. Would have asked you, but you had some parent teacher thing last night didn't you"

Sam started telling Callen about what had been said about the kids, both the good and the bad, until Kensi and Deeks appeared

"Well, I think that's my cue to speak to our fearful leader" he said as he got up and left the bullpen in the direction of Hetty's desk

Nell walked into the burn room, and was surprised to find Callen sifting through the ashes of some documents, looking to make sure there was nothing left that was identifiable

"Sorry, I didn't realise you were in here… I'll wait outside till your finished" and made a move to open the door.

Before she could get it open he had practically launched himself across the small room, putting all his weight against the door

"Can you let me out Agent Callen"

"Not yet. You and I need to have a chat, about this" he motioned between them

Nell came, walking at speed, into the bullpen to find Kensi. Completely ignoring Sam and Deeks who were sat filling out paperwork

"Can you come with me. NOW"

Kensi didn't even argue, and followed Nell along the corridor and into the locker room

"So what's so urgent?"

"Callen Kissed me!"

"Okay, not sure I understand the problem. I thought that was maybe what you wanted"

It was, and it wasn't. and I just don't know why"

"Did you maybe ask him?"

"NO. he just kissed me, and I may have jabbed him with my elbow to get him away from the door. And I needed to tell someone. What the hell do I do?"

Kensi stared down at her friend and colleague

"Maybe ask him why he kissed you. Where did you elbow him?"

"his side" Nell realised what she had done, and how much pain it could have been causing him. She ran off back to the burn room before Kensi could even say a word

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I forgot. Are you okay. Please say your Okay"

Callen was partly crouched down holding his sides, like holding it would ease the pain

"No, I'm ok" he said sounding strained "What did you come back for"

"I realised where I hit you. And I kind of wanted to know why you. Em.. why you kissed me"

"Well, could you maybe find me a seat first, then we can talk"

Nell turned and ran in a panic to find a seat for him.

By the time she got back, he had slouched down to the floor, and was just staring at the burner, that was in front of him

Nell ran back in and instinctively locked the door behind her, pushing the chair towards him

Noticing that she had returned, he indicated that he was okay sitting on the floor, preferring to there than try to get back up for the time being

"So what did you want to know"

"Why you kissed me. Not that it was a bad kiss… it's just I don't understand why"

"Honest answer?"

"I would prefer that, yeah"

"Ok. Truth… I've wanted to kiss you for a few months now. No matter what I said or did, I couldn't stop thinking about kissing you"

Nell stared back at him in disbelief

"No. but you… were so cold towards me. You never gave any indication that you wanted to…. Kiss ME"

"I'm not real good at this sort of thing. By that I mean, talking about feelings and the like"

"But why now."

"Kensi told me what you did for me. What could have happened to you. I regret a lot of things I've said, not said, done or not done… and I didn't want this, didn't want not kissing you… seeing if something could actually happen, to be something I would regret for the rest of my life. And I don't regret it... I do regret you hitting me like that though"

"I really am sorry" she sat down on the floor beside him

He turned to look down at her face "You know, You don't need to worry about how I feel about you. If this had just been some 'Florence Nightingale Syndrome' thing, I think these feelings would have gone, but they haven't"

"So… what happens now?" she asked him

"What do **_you_** want to happen?"

She smiled back at him


End file.
